


The Shadows That Bind Us

by emmabeth, Static_Velocity



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Feels, Bathtub Sex, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Fluff, General Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Talking Animals, Wordcount: Over 100.000, Wordcount: Over 50.000
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2021-04-09
Packaged: 2021-04-18 05:36:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 49
Words: 181,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21786166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmabeth/pseuds/emmabeth, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Static_Velocity/pseuds/Static_Velocity
Summary: Team 6 graduated from the academy in the same class as Naruto. Their lives and destinies intertwine with every other shinobi in Konoha. Shiori, brought to the village as a hostage, Kiyoko, a whirlwind of energy, Masaru, the reluctant medic, all led by their sarcastic and brazen sensei Akira.Rated M for future chapters. Story updates twice a month!
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s), Hyuuga Neji/Original Female Character(s), Inuzuka Kiba/Original Female Character(s), Umino Iruka/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 211
Kudos: 129





	1. Vows

**Author's Note:**

> This story started as a 'your life in Naruto RP quiz' on quotev. Since finishing the quiz I started writing it as a story with Emmabeth. We will be updating 2x a month for you. Also, an important canon divergence note: we decided to increase the graduation age for all the teams for various reasons (namely Emmabeth wanted romance in this for the teams which is awkward as 12 year olds). So all genin teams are 16, except for Gai’s team who are 17. Pretty much everyone else is canon age. Hope that’s not too confusing. Without further ado, please enjoy.
> 
> POV this chapter is Kagemura Shiori

“I, Kagemura Shiori, swear fealty to Konohagakure no Sato on behalf of my clan.” Her voice was steady, even as she felt her pulse racing under the gaze of the Hokage and his advisors. “I swear upon the sacred honor of the Kagemura that we will never, in thought or action, through word or deed, move against the will of the Hokage. We will raise no force, conquer no land, spill no blood, but by his edict. Should I, or any of my clan, break this trust, may my own life be forfeit.” Shiori bowed low, her forehead brushing the tatami mats before her as a profound silence followed her oath. 

“I, Mitokado Homura, hear and accept the Oath of the Kagemura.”

“I, Utatane Koharu, hear and accept the Oath of the Kagemura.”

“I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage, hear and accept the Oath of the Kagemura.”

Shiori let out a shaky breath as the Hokage and his advisors signed their names to the scroll that detailed the specifics of the treaty between her clan and Konoha. It was over; at least for now.

Clearing her expression of any trace of emotion, Shiori rose from her bow and set her hands in her lap as she waited for further instruction. 

The Hokage’s advisors left almost immediately after signing their names, apparently uninterested in dragging out the ceremony. The Hokage, however, smiled at Shiori from his seat across from her. “Congratulations, Shiori,” he said. “It isn’t every day that a shinobi graduates from the academy.” 

Shiori inclined her head and smiled. “Thank you, Hokage-sama. I hope I can live up to the expectations of the Village.”

“I have no doubt you will. Your progress through the academy was most impressive.” The Hokage glanced at the clock on his wall and chuckled. “I’ve kept you too long, you’re going to miss the announcement of your team if you don’t hurry to the academy. You’d better run.”

“Of course, Hokage-sama, thank you again,” Shiori said as she climbed to her feet; determined to appear calm and collected despite the Hokage’s concerns that she would be late.

“Go on,” he said, waving her toward the door. “And good luck!”

Shiori bowed once more before leaving the room and - with only a cursory glance down the hallway to see if anyone was watching - launching herself out the closest open window. 

She slid down the side of the building, her long black hair waving out behind her as she pulled out the pin that had kept it in a neat bun for the ceremony. She used her chakra to slow her descent enough that she didn’t hurt herself as she rolled onto the pavement below and took off toward the academy at full tilt. A block away she slid to a halt and ducked into an alley, pressing her back against the wall and gasping in desperate breaths of air. The nerves of the last hour combined with the nerves of meeting her new team worked together to constrict her airway. “I am Kagemura Shiori,” she whispered between breaths. “I am a genin of Konoha. I serve so that my family may survive.”

She repeated the mantra again and again until her breathing slowed and she was able to step away from the cool wall at her back. Becoming a kunoichi was a choice made for Shiori a long time ago. Someone had to be sent to Konoha to train; to be a weapon and a hostage for the village that her clan had failed to defeat so many years ago. That someone was Shiori and no amount of pleading or wishing would change that. With a final deep breath, she stepped out of the alley only to be nearly bowled over by a blur of pink and blonde.

Arms tightened around Shiori, holding her upright as the blur in question squealed out her name. “Shiori! Shiori! There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I wanted us to walk to the Academy together.”

Shiori extracted herself from her assailant and stepped back enough to look up into the vibrant green eyes of her best friend. “Sorry, Kiyoko,” Shiori said. “I had to see the Hokage.”

“Right,” Kiyoko responded. “I forgot you had to do that today.” She linked arms with Shiori and steered her toward the Academy. “At least we can walk part of the way together. How were the Hokage and his groupies?”

“Fine.”

“Were they nice to you?” Kiyoko asked with a concerned look. She had her long blond hair up in a braided bun today. For the big announcement at the Academy she’d forsaken her usual white tunic top and green leggings for a pink tunic top with white leggings. 

“They weren’t mean.”

“They should be offering you tea and cookies,” Kiyoko said glaring toward the stone faces on the mountain. “It’s not your fault your stupid ancestors decided to rebel against the Second, but here you are, doing everything to make it right and it’s fine because at least they weren’t mean.”

Shiori smiled, happy to let Kiyoko rant for her. It had been years since Shiori had explained her situation to Kiyoko but time hadn’t dulled her friend’s indignation at the thought of Shiori being little more than a hostage. If anything, the older the two got, the less Kiyoko was willing to listen to Shiori’s placations about duty and the consequence of actions. 

“At least you don’t have to worry about that for a while, right?” Kiyoko continued.

“Not until I become chuunin,” Shiori responded.

“So a few months?” Kiyoko laughed, nudging Shiori. “You and I both know you’ll make chuunin the second they offer you the chance.”

Shiori shrugged as best she could with Kiyoko clinging to her arm. “If you’re going to do something, you may as well do it right.”

“That kind of attitude is exactly why mom wants you to be on my team. She thinks you’re a good influence on me or something. Not that I’d mind having you on my team. We’d be unstoppable, wouldn’t even matter who was the third person.”

“Wouldn’t matter?” Shiori asked. “What if it was Sasuke?”

Kiyoko scowled and looked around as if Shiori had summoned him simply by saying his name. “I’d deal with Sasuke, if it meant being on your team, but I wouldn’t have to like it. He’s just the worst. He’s so mean. He never has anything nice to say to anyone. You know the last time I said good morning to him he just ‘tsch-ed’ at me? I can get more of a response from Shikamaru!”

Shiori winced, regretting her teasing as Kiyoko’s voice crescendoed.

“And I’ll tell you something else, the way so many girls swoon over him? I don’t get it! What’s so attractive about brooding -” Kiyoko paused, her eyes narrowing, as they reached the doors of the academy and found them blocked by a small, but growing, crowd.

“Move it, please,” she called. “I’ve got a team to meet.”

“It’s Sakura and Ino,” Shiori said, craning her neck to see over the crowd. “They’re fighting to see who can get inside first.”

“Oh, not today.” Kiyoko elbowed her way forward, dragging Shiori in her wake until she was right behind the pair of arguing kunoichi. “Honestly, you two,” she said, doing a remarkable impression of her own mother. “Have you no shame?”

A gentle push to both of their backs was all it took to have Ino and Sakura falling over each other into the classroom and Kiyoko tisked, stepping carefully over them. 

“Don’t you know that kunoichi don’t chase after boys?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder. “They make boys chase after them.”

Looking far too proud of herself, Kiyoko sauntered to her usual seat near the back of the classroom and Shiori followed, barely resisting the urge to shake her head.

“And how long have you been saving that line?” Shiori asked under her breath as they took their seats.

“About a month,” Kiyoko admitted with a grin. “It was good though, right?”

“Very good,” Shiori assured her.

“Thank you, thank you,” Kiyoko said, bowing as dramatically as she could from her seat. “Hey, why is Naruto here?”

Shiori looked toward the front of the class and shrugged. Naruto certainly wasn’t supposed to be there; he’d failed the genin exam - rather spectacularly in fact.

“Hey Hinata,” Kiyoko leaned forward over her desk to talk to the quite Hyuuga sitting in front of them. “You know why Naruto’s here?”

Hinata gasped and shook her head, glancing at Naruto and then immediately away as a vibrant blush spread across her face. 

“Good luck for you though, huh?” Kiyoko said, ruffling Hinata’s hair. 

“I- I don’t -” Hinata stammered, slouching down in her chair and hiding her face in her sleeves.

“You’re just too cute,” Kiyoko leaned farther over the desk to wrap her arms around Hinata’s shoulders. “You should be on our team,” she said, releasing the blushing heiress and motioning toward Shiori.

“That could be nice,” Hinata said, smiling back at the two of them. “I-”

“Oh no.” Kiyoko cut her off, her eyes widening as she watched a student bump into Naruto and push him right into Sasuke. “Shiori, are you seeing this?” She asked, grabbing blindly for Shiori’s arm, unable to take her eyes off the scene unfolding before them. 

Almost in slow motion, Naruto’s flailing form crashed into Sasuke and their lips locked. For a single second they stayed there, both shocked into inaction before they broke apart, spitting and gagging.

“Aww,” Shiori said quietly, “what a cute couple.” 

Kiyoko cackled, her sudden burst of laughter unbalancing her enough from her precarious lean that she fell between the tables with a curse.

“Need help?” Shiori asked, leaning over the desk to watch Kiyoko struggle between laughing and trying to climb to her feet.

“Nah.” Kiyoko regained her composure enough to bounce to her feet and vault over the desk and into her seat moments before Iruka-sensei opened the door and called the class to order.

“This is it,” Kiyoko whispered and reached for Shiori’s hand.

Normally, Shiori would’ve hesitated longer before giving in, but the tension simmering in the room was too much, even for her. She took Kiyoko’s offered hand and squeezed it. “It’s going to be fine,” she whispered back; trying to convince herself as much as her friend. There was a good chance that the people on her team were going to stand between her and death one day. And if Shiori didn’t get the right team, she’d be standing alone.

Kiyoko’s grip tightened on Shiori’s hand with every team announced; five teams down and neither of them had been called. Shiori glanced to the side and found Kiyoko chewing on her bottom lip, her eyes darting around the classroom as if taking stock of who remained. 

“Team Six-” Iruka-sensei said, flipping a page on his clipboard. “Will consist of Fujita Masaru.”

Shiori looked toward the tan-skinned boy sitting on the edge of his seat a few rows in front of them. She’s only spoken to him a few times in passing, but he’d always been polite and put-together. Now, the look on his usually handsome face suggested that he’d swallowed a squirrel for breakfast.

“Takeda Kiyoko,” Iruka-sensei continued.

Kiyoko’s grip on Shiori tightened to the point of pain.

“And Kagemura Shiori.”

Her name was barely out of Iruka-sensei’s mouth before Kiyoko shrieked and threw her arms around Shiori’s neck, nearly strangling her in her excitement. 

“Best team ever.” 

The rest of the team announcements passed in a blur with Kiyoko hanging from her neck and humming happily in her ear. Shiori knew that she should care about who was placed on what team but she found the relief of being with Kiyoko too great to be bothered with anything else. Even the relatively unknown entity that was Fujita Masaru wasn’t enough to outweigh her happiness. 

“Shiori, this is going to be amazing,” Kiyoko said as she flopped down on the grass and grinned up at the sky. “You and me, on the best team ever.”

“The absolute best,” Shiori agreed.

“We’re going to go on so many missions, and we’re going to be trained by a real jounin, and we’re going to be the best kunoichi that Konoha’s ever seen.” Kiyoko stretched then bounced back into a sitting position. “Hey, Masaru,” she yelled as he walked past with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his teal sweatshirt. “Come eat lunch with us and tell us all your secrets.”

Masaru laughed and joined them, looking only a little apprehensive. “All my secrets, huh? I don’t know about that.”

“Come on, we’re a team now, we won’t use them against you,” Kiyoko said with a wink before throwing him a dessert bun shaped like a cat. “My mom made these for the new team. And we have an extra one to split since she wanted you to have one regardless,” she said to Shiori as she handed her a dessert.

“Shouldn’t that one be mine by default?” Shiori asked.

“Not a chance,” Kiyoko said, moving the bag away from Shiori. 

There was a moment of silence as the three bit into their desserts followed by more happy humming from Kiyoko. “My mom’s the best cook ever.”

“These are delicious,” Masaru agreed. “Thanks.”

“You’re so very welcome. Now tell us everything about you.” Kiyoko said, going from sweet to deadly serious in less than a second.

Masaru choked on his bite and looked between Kiyoko and Shiori with alarm. “I - uh.”

“Oh relax,” Kiyoko said. “You can start with the easy stuff, like what you like and what your favorite color is. We’ll get to the deep, dark stuff later.

“Okay,” Masaru said with a nervous laugh. “I guess I like cookies, and now these,” he says holding up the remaining half of his dessert. “Sometimes my sister lets me borrow her BINGO book, that’s pretty cool.” 

“Your sister’s a kunoichi?” Kiyoko asked.

“Yeah, she and mom are both medical-nin.”

“That’s so cool.”

“I guess,” Masaru shrugged. “Not really for me though.”

“What about your dad?” Kiyoko asked. “Is he a ninja too?”

“He was,” Masaru said, avoiding both their gazes. “He died on a mission a few years ago.”

Kiyoko grimaced and looked to Shiori for support.

“We’re sorry, that can’t be easy,” Shiori said.

“Thanks,” Masaru said. “What about you two? What do you like?”

“Oh, I like a lot of things,” Kiyoko said, eager to change the subject. “My favorite color is pink. But not bright pink, soft pink,” she said, plucking at the petal pink tank top she wore. “Like sunrise pink. And I love desserts. And fruit juices. And of course, everything Mom makes. Also Shiori,” she said, leaning into Shiori and resting her head on her shoulder. “She’s my best friend. Oh, and cats. I love cats. And running, and swimming, and going to parks, and -”

“Maybe leave a little mystery,” Shiori said, easing Kiyoko off her shoulder.

“Right,” Kiyoko agreed. “Keep them wanting more.”

“What about your family?” Masaru asked, clearly still trying to sort through everything she’d listed.

“Oh mom and dad are both jounin,” Kiyoko answered. “My little sister, Ayane, didn’t want anything to do with it though, she feels bad killing spiders. That just means it’s up to me to watch out for her,” Kiyoko added with a grin. 

Masaru smiled back but Shiori could see a trace of sadness in his dark brown eyes. If Kiyoko noticed, she didn’t acknowledge it.

“And this is Shiori,” Kiyoko said, once again throwing her arms around Shiori’s shoulders. “She likes ponies and rainbows and glittery -”

“Kiyoko!” Shiori pushed her friend away with a look of horror. “I abhor glitter, you know that. It gets everywhere and you can’t get it off.”

“Fine, but you do like rainbows.”

“That’s true.”

Masaru shifted his attention from one to the other, clearly trying to decide if they were serious. “Uh, do you like ponies, then?” He asked, his tone friendly but confused.

“Well I don’t know any personally so it’s difficult to say,” Shiori answered.

“Right, it wouldn’t be fair to judge until you meet one, I guess.”

“Exactly,” Shiori said, managing to keep a straight face with Kiyoko giggling beside her.

“So, uh, what about your family?” Masaru asked, looking for a way to get the conversation back on track.

Kiyoko stopped giggling and one look at Masaru’s face was enough for Shiori to know that he regretted the question immediately.

Shiori smiled, careful to keep any bitterness out of her expression. “It’s okay,” she said, taking the last dessert that Kiyoko had been in the process of splitting into threes and finishing the task for her. “I haven’t seen my family in years,” she said, handing one-third of the treat to Masaru and a second third to Kiyoko. “I assume you’re familiar with the story?”

Masaru nodded, his gaze intent on the dessert in his hands. 

Generations ago, the Kagemura had revolted against the Second Hokage, seeking to take control of Konoha and, eventually, the entire Land of Fire. It was a short-lived rebellion; the Kagemura had fought viciously but when their leader died in combat with the Second, the survivors quickly surrendered. The Second Hokage, determined to maintain the peace he and his brother had fought for, allowed the Kagemura to continue living in seclusion outside the boundaries of the village. However, he revoked their right to train and maintain a force of shinobi and insisted that one member of the clan be sent to Konoha each generation to be raised to appreciate the importance of village over clan.

“I’m the fourth Kagemura to come to Konoha since the signing of the treaty,” Shiori said, her voice as neutral as she could make it. “It’s been a mixed experience, but I’m looking forward to working with this team.” 

“This is going to be the best team ever,” Kiyoko said, latching on to the positive like Shiori hoped she would. The blonde kunoichi stuffed the last of her dessert in her mouth before hopping to her feet and pulling Masaru and Shiori up as well. “Let’s go meet our new sensei!”


	2. Team 6!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Hayashi Akira

The world had changed since Akira graduated from the Academy. No longer were graduates thrown from the classroom to the battlefield as soon as they showed the slightest proficiency. They were at peace, more or less, and yet that didn’t calm the anxiety that had been growing in Akira’s stomach since her orders had come down from the Hokage. Akira had never planned to be a sensei; being assigned to teach the lowest level of students at the Academy had been surprising enough but now being asked to lead a team of genin? The thought terrified her. Akira had spent her childhood on the battlefield, her teen years infiltrating the palaces and lairs of some of Konoha’s most dangerous enemies, but now the Hokage wanted her to take three Academy graduates and show them how to survive in a world determined to kill them. She’d take the battlefield any day. But even Hayashi Akira couldn’t defy a direct order.

She sighed as she neared the KIA memorial and spotted a familiar figure standing before the stone. Hatake Kakashi stood with his head bowed, looking like the weight of the world was resting on his lean shoulders.

_ Of course he’s here, _ she thought.  _ He’s always here. _

“Hello, Kakashi-senpai,” she said as she stopped next to him. 

His only response was a nod and Akira felt a sad smile twitch at the corner of her lips. This wasn’t a place for smiles, but Akira always preferred to laugh instead of cry. 

The two stood in silence, each buried in their own memories and regrets. No matter how many times she came here the pain never seemed to lessen; that empty place where her team should be never seemed to fill. Akira would have given anything to be able to talk to her sensei now; to ask her advice just one more time. 

Yuhi Sayaka had been everything a sensei should be; fierce, brave, utterly devoted to her team and to Konoha. If Akira was half the kunoichi Sayaka had been, she might’ve considered herself up to the task the Hokage had set her.

She glanced to the side and discreetly studied the silver-haired jounin beside her. Kakashi was, and would probably always be, a difficult man to read but Akira fancied she could see the reflection of her own internal struggle in his eye. Could he live up to the example of his sensei? Was it foolish vanity to even try to reach the level of Namikaze Minato? Akira knew she would never be the kunoichi Sayaka was; but if anyone could come close to matching Minato, it would be Kakashi. 

Akira sighed again and set a small bouquet of chrysanthemums at the base of the stone. 

“We’re already late,” she said. “Are you going to meet your team?”

“Eventually,” Kakashi responded.

She hesitated a moment, then put her hand on his shoulder. “Maybe if we get this right, we can help them avoid the mistakes we made.” 

It wasn’t an entirely fair comment, Akira thought as she turned away and headed toward the Academy. Kakashi’s team had died in spite of his actions; Akira’s had died because of hers.

Akira paused outside the door of the classroom where her team was waiting, distracted by the dull thud of something hitting the wall followed by a high-pitched giggle that could only come from Kiyoko. Inside, a quiet voice murmured something Akira couldn’t hear and a low chuckle joined Kiyoko’s giggle. She ran a hand through her brown hair, tugging at the recently shorn ends. Cutting it so the ends rested just about her shoulders had sounded like such a good idea when Anko had suggested it but now she hardly had enough to pull on to ground herself. Stupid habit, anyway. 

_ Takeda Kiyoko, Fujita Masaru, Kagemura Shiori, what an interesting combination _ , Akira thought, schooling her expression into a neutral mask. Kiyoko was by far the most skilled in taijutsu of the three; the rambunctious blonde had more than enough energy to throw around and her speed was impressive. Masaru, on the other hand, had a firm grasp of ninjutsu that -while not as flashy as some of his classmates - gave him an extremely solid foundation to build on. Shiori, well, it didn’t take a genius to figure out why Akira had been assigned Shiori. She already showed extreme skill in genjutsu, as was expected to be expected of a Kagemura. Of the available jounin sensei, Kurenai was the only one that could come close to Akira in genjutsu ability. If Shiori’s early progress was anything to go on, she’d soon surpass them both. Together, they were a balanced team on paper. None were awful at anything, and each were particularly skilled in one area. It would be up to Akira to draw out all their skills and see if she could balance them. These three had been in Akira’s first class when she’d started teaching at the Academy a few years ago; it was going to be difficult treating them as genin instead of adorable academy students. 

Inside the room Akira found Kiyoko, her sandy hair askew as always, standing at the chalkboard where she’d been doodling a scene of cats at a picnic. Smears of chalk dust stood out on the sides of her leggings and on her pale pink tunic top. A small rubber ball - that had been mid-flight when Akira opened the door - smacked a cat drinking sake in the face before bouncing back in Masaru’s outstretched hand. 

His deep brown eyes widened when he noticed Akira and he stuffed the ball into the front pocket of his teal sweatshirt; as if by hiding the ball he could also hide that he’d been throwing things in class. He smiled sheepishly at Akira and she turned her gaze to the final genin on her team. 

Kagemura Shiori was a study in greyscale; black hair, pale skin, a steel grey dress that matched her eyes. The girl dressed like a shade, determined to slip from memory as soon as she was out of sight.

Akira allowed herself to pause and take the moment in; her team before her, safe in the Academy, each looking at her with at least some level of optimism.

“Akira-sensei?” Kiyoko dropped the chalk in her hand and grinned. “What’s going on? Are you our sensei? Are you not teaching here anymore? What-”

Akira held up a hand to quiet the exuberant kunoichi. “Breathe,” she said shutting the door and moving toward the teacher’s desk at the front of the room. 

“Here’s the deal.” Akira leaned against the desk and motioned for Kiyoko to step away from the board and stand next to Masaru and Shiori in front of her. “The Hokage has assigned the three of you to me. So from now on - until whenever you prove yourselves capable of functioning on your own - you’re my responsibility.” She paused, taking in the youthful faces before her and finally allowing herself a small smile. “More than that,” she continued. “You’re each other’s responsibilities. Before we go any further, do you think you can handle that?”

The three genin exchanged perplexed looks; whatever they’d been expecting when Akira had walked in the room, reality had not measured up. In their minds, Akira was likely the patient sensei who spent more time encouraging their efforts than scolding their failures. Even when those failures included nearly hitting her in the foot with a kunai. 

“We can handle it,” Kiyoko said finally, a bit louder than necessary as if she were trying to convince herself. Next to her, Shiori and Masaru nodded in agreement.

“I guess we’ll see.” 

Akira moved to the window and opened it before sitting on the sill; the classroom was filled with the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze for a moment before she spoke again. “You’re willing to give it a shot, so that’s a plus. Before we get started, any questions?”

“Uh, I have a question,” Kiyoko said, crossing her arms and glaring at Akira. “What are you and what have you done to Akira-sensei?”

Akira laughed; coming in here disguised would have been a fun way to test their ability to see through deception, but Akira had another test in mind. “You’re genin now,” she answered. “Your days of being coddled at the Academy are over. I know Iruka-sensei told you some sweet stuff about all the challenges you’ve overcome to get here, but that’s nothing compared to what you’ve got waiting for you.”

She nodded out the window. “It’s a scary world out there, and starting now it’s your job to keep the scary away from the people living in this village. You’ll have to fight, kill. You may get killed yourself. My job - among other things - is to prevent that from happening but I can’t protect you from everything.”  _ Even if I may want to,  _ she added to herself. “If that doesn’t sound like something you’re up for, the door’s right there.” Akira pointed toward the door and waited.

Silence stretched through the classroom as the genin considered their new sensei. Happy, hyper Kiyoko was taken aback; the Takeda family - despite having their fair share of shinobi - had been remarkably fortunate in recent generations. Few had been lost in battle and no one in Kiyoko’s immediate family had even been seriously injured. Akira knew Kiyoko didn’t have a real understanding of what she was getting into and that made her nervous.

Masaru, on the other hand, was studying Akira with the hardened determination that only came from losing someone dear to you to the world of shinobi. Masaru had lost, and he knew that the longer he - and those he loved - stayed in this world, the more likely they were to lose again. If the look he gave Akira was any indication, Masaru was ready to take on any challenger if it meant not feeling that pain again. It remained to be seen if that fire in his dark eyes would fuel him toward greatness or burn him to cinders. 

In Shiori’s face, Akira found resignation. The young Kagemura didn’t have a choice in the matter and she knew that. It was serve Konoha, or forfeit her life and the lives of her clan. It wasn’t a fair situation; it wasn’t a situation Akira liked, but the least she could do was give the girl the skills she needed to survive.

“If there are no more questions,” Akira continued, breaking the heavy silence. “I’ll get to your first assignment.

“Wait, what?” Kiyoko asked, her excitement returning immediately. “Our first mission? Already?”

“You’re a jumpy one, aren’t you?” Akira responded, torn between amusement and exasperation. “The answer to that is yes. And no. I get the final say on whether you’re ready for the real world, or if you’d be better served staying in the Academy. So, your first assignment is to convince me who I should send back.”

“What?”

“No way!”

“But we passed the exam, you can’t send us back!”

“Oh yes,” Akira said, her voice steeped in sarcasm. “You all made lovely little clones, well done. It takes more than that to make a genin.” 

Akira left her perch on the windowsill and moved toward the door. “You have until this time tomorrow to let me know your decision. I don’t care how you make it, I don’t care how you try to convince me. I do, however, encourage you to take advantage of every resource at your disposal. If you want to be genin, prove it.” She paused, her hand on the door. “And if you can’t make a decision, you’ll all be going back.”

“That’s not fair,” Kiyoko yelled, slamming a hand down on a desk.

“Fair?” Akira responded with an arched eyebrow. “Who told you being a ninja would be fair? This is just the way it is; fair doesn’t factor in.” Akira paused and turned toward the door. “I can tell you from experience that some orders just aren’t fair at all. That doesn’t change what you have to do. You’re dismissed.”

With a final glance back at her students, Akira vanished, leaving them in stunned silence. 

Akira jumped onto the roof of the Academy with a self-satisfied smirk. Yes, the idea of being responsible for the lives and training of three genin was terrifying, but that didn’t mean Akira couldn’t find ways to enjoy herself as well. She was very interested to see how these three tackled this task. She spotted Kakashi sitting with his students on a terrace and smiled. 

_ So he made it after all, _ she thought as she studied the group. 

Uchiha Sasuke, likely the most skilled of the recent graduates, was exactly the kind of student best suited for Kakashi. Talented, driven, and with the Sharingan, it’s obvious why the Third put them together. Similarly, Haruno Sakura was probably the most academically skilled of the graduated. Her test scores were phenomenal, though Akira couldn’t help wondering what her performance in the field would be like. And then there was Uzumaki Naruto. Just thinking of trying to teach him made Akira exhausted. Kiyoko was hyper, but compared to Naruto she was downright docile. 

“Akira,” Iruka landed on the roof next to her and jolted her out of her thoughts. “You were late today.

“Yeah,” she said, smiling at him. “I had some things to take care of.”

Iruka shot her a flat look and she shrugged. “Genin should practice waiting,” she said, warding off her friend’s disapproval. “Teaches them the patience they need to pull of an ambush.”

“I don’t believe a word you’re saying,” Iruka responded.

“Probably a smart decision.” 

Iruka chuckled then sighed, his gaze drawn to Kakashi and his team.

“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”

When Iruka didn’t respond, Akira put an arm around his shoulder.

“Don’t be, for all of Kakashi’s reputation for being a hard-ass, he’s a softie. Naruto’s in good hands.”

“And what are you basing that assessment off?” Iruka asked, unconvinced.

“You become one of Konoha’s best infiltrators and see if you don’t learn a thing or two about reading people,” Akira teased. “Now come on, let’s have some tea and you can tell me all about my new team.” 

By the time their tea arrived, Akira and Iruka’s conversation had shifted away from her new team; now the pair were lost in nostalgic memories of their own time at the Academy.

“You were such a clown,” Akira said with a fond laugh. “If someone told me then that you would be one of the best instructors at the Academy, I would’ve laughed in their face.”

“You laughed in most people’s faces,” Iruka pointed out.

Akira shrugged and took a sip of tea. “People are hilarious.”

“Uh-huh.”

Akira and Iruka had been close since their time in the Academy; though their professional lives had taken them in very different directions. Even when Akira had been assigned to the Academy a few years ago, she had always known it was a temporary assignment. Iruka, on the other hand, was likely to stay a dedicated instructor for life. And Akira knew Konoha was all the better for it.

“What are you thinking about?” Iruka asked, sensing the switch in Akira’s nostalgia from fond to contemplative.

“Oh, just wondering what this next stage of my life will bring.”

“You certainly have a varied portfolio,” Iruka responded, instinctively reacting to Akira’s unspoken desire to lighten the mood.

“You know me, I get bored easily.”

“Like the time you got bored in class and transformed yourself into Mizuki’s desk and then vanished when he tried to write something?” Iruka said, trying - and failing - to sound disapproving. 

“Mizuki was an ass, I’ve always said it. Wasn’t I right?”

Iruka scratched at the bandages covering his wounds from Mizuki’s attack. “You were right,” he admitted. “Usually are.”

“He’s lucky I wasn’t there,” Akira said, anger bubbling up in her at the thought of her friend’s injuries. “I’d have killed him.”

“Akira-”

“You’re like a brother to me, Iruka,” she interrupted. “In fact, I like you more than my actual brother. You make sure to take care of yourself while I’m whipping these kids into shape.”

“Historically, I’m not the one you should be worried about,” Iruka pointed out, blushing slightly.

“True.”

A small puff of smoke interrupted their conversation and they watched as a black scorpion the size of Akira’s hand scuttled toward her.

“Akira-san,” the scorpion said in a voice far too deep to be coming from such a small creature. “They’ve decided to break into the archives.”

Akira burst out laughing at the scandalized tone in the scorpion’s voice and the horrified look on Iruka’s face.

“I did not teach them that,” Iruka said, aghast.

“Of course not,” Akira replied. “That’s much more along the lines of something I’d teach them. Okay Kai,” she said, addressing the scorpion. “Tell me what my sweet little genin are planning.”

“Ah, Akira,” the Hokage glanced up from the scroll on his desk as Akira slid open the door to his office. “I was just going over the Kagemura treaty again; please take a seat.”

“Is there a problem?” Akira asked, sitting as directed. 

“No, not at all,” the Hokage assured her. “Shiori is an exemplary young woman. Konoha is lucky to have her, and the Kagemura should be proud. We’ve sent word to her father that she’s achieved the rank of genin.”

“Have you heard from her family recently?” Akira asked. “I was under the impression that she hadn’t spoken to them in quite some time.”

“That’s true.” The Hokage took a long draw from his pipe and sat back in his chair. “In the past, there has been much more communication between the clan and their envoy.”

Akira arched an eyebrow at the Hokage’s choice of words but remained silent.

“But that hasn’t been the case for Shiori. Her parents were adamant that she not have contact with them after coming here, though they wouldn’t explain their reasons. It’s surely very difficult for her, to be so isolated.” The Hokage paused and smiled at Akira. “That’s one of the reasons I chose you to be her sensei; you have a strong and generous heart, Akira. It will be good for Shiori to have you in her life.”

Akira returned the Hokage’s smile, one thing Akira had never doubted was how much the old man cared for his village and the people in it. 

“Speaking of my team,” she said, “I’ve put them to a little test and it looks like I’m going to need a favor.”

“A test?” The Hokage asked. “Taking a leaf out of Kakashi’s book?”

“Not quite,” Akira laughed. “Kakashi and I have very different priorities for our teams.”

“I see; and what is this favor?”

Akira paused, trying to decide the best way to ask the Hokage to let three newly minted genin sneak into a restricted area. “I just need the patrols around the archives a bit lighter tonight, that’s all,” she said, sounding as nonchalant as possible.

“The patrols around the archives?” The Hokage repeated. “What test did you give them?”

“I told them that I was going to send one of them back to the Academy and it was down to them to choose. They decided to break into the archives to get more information on me to build a psychological profile all on their own.” 

The Hokage laughed. “Oh my, when I assigned this team to you I hoped it would be a good fit but I had no idea it was this perfect.”

“I am rather pleased with them,” Akira admitted. “If they keep this up, I’ll probably have to keep them.”

“I hope so,” the Hokage said. “But I don’t know if I can justify leaving the archives so loosely guarded. I also don’t want to encourage the idea that stealing from Konoha is acceptable,” he added in a mutter. 

Akira couldn’t repress her smirk, clearly, the Hokage was still annoyed that Naruto had stolen a scroll of forbidden jutsu from his residence just the other day. 

“They wouldn’t be stealing so much as borrowing, if they were even bold enough to take any records in the first place,” Akira said. “But if you’re that concerned about security, I’ll keep an eye on the archives while they’re inside and tell you once they’ve left so you can redeploy the usual security.”

The Hokage took a long draw on his pipe and frowned thoughtfully at Akira. “All right, you’re clearly set on letting them try this. I know better than to pretend that you’d listen to me even if I told you to call them off.”

His tone was teasing but Akira could tell he believed every word he was saying. Akira had defied him over much more serious matters than letting a few genin sneak a peek at lightly classified material. 

“Thank you, Hokage-sama,” she said with a genuine smile. “I’ll keep you informed.”

“Good,” the Hokage said as she turned to leave. “Oh, and Akira? I do hope they live up to your expectations.”

Akira’s smile widened as she left the room; in some ways, they’d already exceeded them. 

Akira watched the sun sink behind the buildings of Konoha and smiled. It was the perfect time for a cigarette, if only she hadn’t given them up. She sighed and pulled a sucker out of her pocket. It would have to do.

She hummed and enjoyed the banana flavor as she thought about the day. It was interesting to have a team again. Not exactly a dream come true, but at least this team was entertaining. And what she’d told Kakashi was true. She was going to make sure these genin didn’t fall victim to the same traps she had. Akira leaned back on the roof and smiled a little. No, they’d make their own mistakes instead. Judging by their decisions so far, they’d probably make a lot of them. But maybe she could prepare them enough to get by.

“You’d better not make a liar out of me, Kakashi-senpai,” she said as a figure appeared out of the growing twilight.

She smiled as he glanced back at her. 

“What have you done now?” He asked, sounding exasperated as usual.

Akira laughed, not at all bothered. “I told dear Iruka that you were actually going to look after this team,” she explained.

“I always look after my teams,” Kakashi shrugged. “Sending them back to the Academy is usually the best thing for them.”

“Is it?” Akira asked with a playful smile. “And it’s just a side benefit that you go without a team for another year?”

“So far, you’ve avoided it as well, Akira.”

“Fair point.”

Kakashi looked out over the city and Akira stood to join him. “I gave them a test,” he said. “We’ll see how they do with it. I’m not convinced they’ll pass, despite what others think.”

“I gave mine a test as well; I think it’s only fair.”

“Fair to us, maybe. But to Iruka?” Kakashi shrugged.

Akira cast a mischievous glance at Kakashi. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Kakashi looked at her and she could tell he was giving her a little smile. “You and I seem to think alike, Akira. If we do end up with teams, we could compare notes and figure out how to really torture them.”

Akira laughed and nodded, looking forward to the idea. Out of all the other jounin teachers, Kakashi seemed to share an outlook very similar to her own. They could do good things together.

“I look forward to it, Kakashi-senpai.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you're all enjoying so far! kudos and comments mean everything <3


	3. What to Do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV for this chapter is Fujita Masaru.

Masaru’s forehead hit the desktop with a resounding smack and he groaned, half in pain and half horrified by the task their new sensei had just assigned them. Pick one of them to go back to the Academy? Right after they all became genin? How was he supposed to make that kind of choice? He liked Kiyoko and Shiori, more or less. He didn’t really know them all that well, but it certainly wasn’t the worst team he could have gotten. What if one of them went back and they stuck him with someone horrible? What if he went back and his next team was a disaster?

“What the hell?” He muttered before lifting his head off the desk and glaring toward the door. “Do you think the other teams have to deal with this too?”

“I have no idea,” Kiyoko answered. As loud as she’d been when Akira-sensei had been in the room, she’d deflated quickly once the woman was gone and was now slumped in a chair next to Shiori looking forlorn. “It’s been a long time since my parents were at the Academy, maybe they changed something? Did your sister say anything about another test?”

Masaru shook his head. “Emi makes it a point not to tell me things like this, thinks it’d give me an unfair advantage.”

“That’s weird,” Kiyoko said.

Masaru shrugged, he wasn’t sure if it was weird, but it certainly wasn’t doing them any favors right now. “So, what do we do?”

“We complete the task,” Shiori said quietly. “We finish the mission, that’s what being a genin is about, right?”

“We can’t just pick someone to send back to the Academy, Shiori,” Kiyoko said. “Besides, this isn’t even a real mission, Akira-sensei all but said so. It’s just another stupid test.” She crossed her arms across her chest and glared toward the door. “I hate tests.”

“She can’t actually expect us to send someone back,” Masaru said. “How are we supposed to decide something like that?”

“It’s got to be a trick,” Kiyoko added. “Tests have trick questions all the time.”

“Well, let’s look at what we know,” Shiori said, moving toward the chalkboard. “Start from the top.”

“Akira-sensei is way meaner than I remember,” Kiyoko muttered.

“Not helpful,” Masaru said.

“It could be,” Shiori responded as she wrote _ Akira-sensei: Personality shift _ on the board. “What else?”

“She was late,” Kiyoko continued.

“Now you’re just complaining.”

Shiori wrote _ Late _ next to _ Personality shift _. “If she does intend to send one of us back to the Academy, she may have needed special permission to do so. That could explain why she was late.”

“Seriously?” Masaru asked. “You really think her being late has anything to do with this test?”

“Can you say for certain that it doesn’t?”

Masaru shrugged and threw his hands up. “I guess not.”

Shiori turned back to the board and wrote _ Disdain for Academy training? _ Next to _ Late._

“Why that?” Kiyoko asked.

“She made it a point to say we were being coddled at the Academy, and she seemed unimpressed by the practical part of the exam. Making believable clones, while difficult for many Academy students, must seem like nothing to an experienced jounin.”

“Everyone has to start somewhere,” Masaru said feeling defensive.

“Yes,” Shiori nodded. “But by the time we graduate, we’re supposed to be well past ‘starting’.”

“We’ve all done well in classes,” Kiyoko interrupted. “I mean, I think we have, you’re not a slacker are you?” She asked Masaru with a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

“Of course not,” Masaru said a bit louder than he’d intended. “My mother would kill me,” he added quietly.

“So we’ve all done well in classes, we’re past ‘starting,’” Kiyoko continued. “So what’s her problem?”

“Maybe she just legitimately wants us to examine our skills and find out where we’re lacking?” Masaru suggested.

“If that’s all it was, why would she make us pick someone to send back to the Academy?”

“Because she’s mean?” Masaru said, standing and writing _ mean _ over Shiori’s _ Personality shift _.

Shiori frowned at him, though the amused glint in her grey eyes ruined the effect a little. “What else did she say?”

“She said the world’s a scary place.” Kiyoko slumped down in her chair and stared up at the ceiling. “Not as terrifying as staying here another year though.”

Shiori wrote _scary world_ below _Akira-sensei_.

“She also said we’re each other’s responsibilities,” Masaru said, adding the word _responsibility_ next to _scary world_.

“That’s right,” Kiyoko said, perking up. “She said we’re each other’s responsibilities, so we’ve got to look out for each other. There’s no way she wants us to pick someone to go back.”

“Unless she wants us to look out for each other by deciding who isn’t ready for the scary world,” Masaru suggested, rolling his eyes as he underlined the phrase.

“Or,” Kiyoko countered, “she wants us to defend each other, like she’s an enemy trying to break up the team.”

Masaru shrugged. “Maybe. She could even be trying to see which of us is ruthless enough to turn on their own comrade. She said we have all day tomorrow to talk to her, she didn’t say we had to do it together.”

“No,” Kiyoko yelled, bouncing off her chair and grabbing Masaru and Shiori’s hands. “We are not turning on each other.”

Masaru pulled away from Kiyoko’s grasp and held up his hands defensively. “I didn’t say that’s what I was planning, I just said that’s what she might be thinking.”

“We don’t have enough information,” Shiori said, drawing their attention back to the chalkboard. She’d written _unfair orders_ under _responsibility_.

Kiyoko smirked and wrote _is_ between _responsibility_ and _unfair_. “Finally, something we agree on. Responsibility is unfair.”

“Very helpful,” Shiori said dryly but Masaru caught a sliver of a smile on her face before she managed to control her expression.

“As I was saying,” Shiori continued. “We don’t have enough information; either to do as Akira-sensei asked or to figure out what else she might have intended. How are we supposed to know what would disqualify any one of us from being genin? Or how are we supposed to guess what she actually wants us to do if this really is a trick question?”

“So where are we supposed to go to get more information?” Masaru asked. “Iruka-sensei? The library?”

The grin on Kiyoko’s face made Masaru nervous as she leaned forward and put her arms around his and Shiori’s shoulders. “The Archives.”

Kiyoko was insane. Shiori was insane. Masaru was on a team with two insane kunoichi and he was going along with their insane plan. He was insane. Breaking into the Archives was a terrible idea; even after Kiyoko had mapped out the layout for them - relying on the memory of all the times she’d been there with her father - and Shiori had come up with an, admittedly, decent plan to get them inside, there was still no way they could pull this off. And even if, by some miracle, they did succeed, it was a pretty big gamble to assume that they’d get enough information out of Akira-sensei’s mission reports to create a good enough psychological profile to guess what the hell she was thinking.

If he were smart, Masaru would turn around, go back to his nice warm house, and explain to Akira-sensei in the morning that he should go back to the Academy because he was clearly mentally unsound for even considering this. Instead, Masaru stuffed his hands deeper into the front pocket of his sweatshirt, bowed his head against the chill wind blowing storm clouds through the darkened sky, and shuffled as nonchalantly down the street as he could. There was no curfew saying he couldn’t be out this late, but if Emi or his mother caught him while they were coming home from their shifts at the hospital, getting sent back to the Academy would be the least of his worries.  
Shiori seemed to grow out of the shadows as Masaru neared the Archives, her black hair and grey clothing blended into the night. Street lights illuminated the road, and floodlights dotted the grounds of the Archives in bright islands, but outside those pools of light, darkness reigned and Shiori looked far too comfortable in the gloom.

“Hey,” Masaru said quietly, “is Kiyoko here yet?”

Shiori shook her head. “Not yet.” Her attention was focused on the building in front of them but a sudden peal of thunder drew both their gazes skyward.

“The storm could help,” Masaru said, searching for something to distract him from his nerves.

“It could,” Shiori agreed.

The first cold drop of rain took Masaru by surprise and he jumped. “It might cause problems if we start leaving wet footprints down the halls,” he said as the single drop quickly turned into a downpour.

“We’ll have to risk it, we won’t get another chance at this before tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but we don’t really have to do this,” Masaru said, looking between Shiori and the Archives. “It isn’t like Akira-sensei specifically told us to break in; we’ve got other options.”

“Okay, what do you suggest?”

Masaru was taken aback by the sincerity in Shiori’s voice. She sounded legitimately willing to abandon the plan if Masaru offered a better idea. When Kiyoko had suggested breaking into the Archives, Shiori had jumped on board with little protest and started working out how it could be done. Masaru had assumed that was because she liked the idea, or at the very least was enthusiastic over loyalty to Kiyoko. But if she were willing to drop the plan so easily, maybe that wasn’t the case?

“I-” Masaru sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know. This is out of my depth. Ask me to hit something, I’m your guy. I can even plan a half-decent battle strategy. But these mind games?” He shook his head. “They’re beyond me.”

“Battle strategy is a kind of mind game, you know,” Shiori said and Masaru shrugged.

“Sure, but I can look at past strategies and have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t. This kind of thing, trying to guess what some random woman I barely know wants me to do? No way.” He glanced up at the rain then back at the Archive. “What if she really just expects us to send someone back?”

“No way!”

Masaru jumped as Kiyoko appeared seemingly out of thin air and threw an arm around his shoulders. “I know there’s a way out of this.” She threw her other arm around Shiori’s shoulders and drew them both closer to her. Thankfully Kiyoko had thrown a black cap over her bright blond hair and was wearing an all black tunic and legging outfit instead of the pastel pink from earlier in the day. She smiled at her teammates. “Akira-sensei said we’re all each other’s responsibilities now, so there’s got to be a way for us all to come out of this okay.”

Masaru looked past Kiyoko and caught Shiori’s eye; he didn’t know her well yet, but he could tell she was thinking the same thing he was. There wasn’t always a way for everyone to come out of a mission okay. Maybe that’s what Akira-sensei was trying to teach them?

“That’s why we’re here,” Shiori said, looking away from Masaru. “We don’t know enough about Akira-sensei to guess her motivations so we need more information. The Archives are an excellent source of information. And,” Shiori added with a small smirk. “Akira-sensei did tell us to use every resource at our disposal.”

“Technically, the Archives aren’t at our disposal,” Masaru pointed out. “You’re supposed to get written permission from the Hokage to go snooping around in these records.”

“Stop worrying, Masaru,” Kiyoko said with a grin. “We’ve got this. We’re going to go in there, get what we need, get out, solve this puzzle, and I’ll be home before my parents wake up in the morning and wonder what in the world I’ve been up to.” She tightened her half-hug on Masaru before releasing him and Shiori and striking a triumphant pose. “Let’s go!”

To her credit, she whispered, and Masaru pushed away his concerns as he followed her toward the building. Succeed or fail, it looked like they were going to do it as a team.

Getting into the building was easier than Masaru had expected. Even with his abysmal chakra control, he managed to scale the wall to the window easily enough. To his surprise, the window itself was unlocked. “Who leaves the window to a secure facility unlocked?” He whispered as he crawled through.

“Their mistake is our gain,” Shiori responded, following him. “Though it is odd.”

Kiyoko came last and shut the window behind her. “Okay,” she said, glancing down the hallway in both directions. “Good luck.” She headed left, her path would take her past the main guard room; probably the riskiest route but Kiyoko had insisted on taking it. Her speed gave her the best chance of not getting caught - and her father’s friendship with some of the guards meant that, even if she did get caught, she might be able to avoid serious punishment. “Besides,” she’d said, “it’s my idea so I get to pick what route I want.”

Masaru didn’t love the idea of leaving that riskiest part to her, but she hadn’t left him much room to protest and he couldn’t deny that she had a better chance of pulling it off than he did.

He and Shiori headed to the right past the window and paused briefly when they reached a fork in the hallway.

“Give me five minutes once you reach the hallway,” Masaru said. “If nothing happens, I’m an idiot and you’ll have to find another way.”

Shiori smiled and nodded; if she was nervous she didn’t show it. If anything, she looked downright excited. “You’ll do fine,” she said before hurrying to the left and disappearing around another corner.

Masaru took the hallway to the right and tried not to think about how not fine he could do. Shiori’s path took her down a well lit hallway through the center of the building. With windows on both sides, it would be impossible for her to just stroll down the hall without someone seeing her and knowing she wasn’t supposed to be there. Masaru’s job was to reach a maintenance room and try to disrupt the electricity enough to give her some cover. Theoretically, he could manage that. He’d fixed enough electrical problems at his house that he should be able to cause one, right?

The map Kiyoko had drawn them was fixed in Masaru’s mind as he moved quietly down the corridors. His shoes made a soft squelching as he walked and he wondered how a few minutes of rain had soaked him so thoroughly. He was so focused on the soft squeaks that he almost didn’t register the sound of footsteps approaching from the other direction. On the edge of panic, he threw open the closest door and hurried inside, barely managing to shut the door quietly behind him. He held his breath as he listened to the footsteps pass the door without stopping and fade into the distance. When he was sure they were gone he let out a soft sigh and glanced at the room he was in.

“Well,” he muttered, recognizing the warning signs blazoned over the panels in front of him. “This is the kind of luck I can’t start to rely on.”

The maintenance ‘room’ was really more of a closet, with a wall of circuit breakers across from the door and a shelf of cleaning supplies against another wall. Unfortunately, none of the breakers were labeled ‘hallway Shiori is going to take’ or even ‘ridiculous windowed hallway in the center of the building’.

“Go big or go home,” Masaru said with a shrug and started flipping breakers. “Surely this can’t go wrong in any way.”

The hallway was so dark when Masaru slipped out of the breaker room that he froze, hoping his eyes would adjust. When they didn’t he bit back a sigh and put his hand on the nearest wall before moving - he hoped - in the direction of the records room Kiyoko had suggested they try first. _ At least I’ll see anyone carrying a light from a mile away, _ he thought. _ I just hope no one slips in the water on the floor, now that they can’t see it. _ Masaru clapped his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing at the thought. He was doing something technically illegal and he was worried about someone slipping on a wet floor; his mother would be proud. Maybe he could use that to cool her off if he got caught.  
He reached the target room without meeting anyone and slipped inside; the sound of poorly suppressed giggles floated across the darkness followed by a soft curse and the scratch of a match being lit.  
He headed toward the little flare of light across the room and found Shiori and Kiyoko pouring over the labels of a filing cabinet, their heads so close together that Shiori’s long, black hair mingled with Kiyoko’s wild, blonde locks that had escaped from her hat.

“Good job, Masaru,” Shiori said when he joined them. “Taking out all the lights will make it seem like a malfunction due to the storm.”

“Yeah,” Masaru said, deciding not to admit that he’d done it more out of indecision than a cunning plan.”

“Does make finding the right file kinda difficult though,” Kiyoko said with another quiet giggle as Shiori’s match burned out.

“As long as we find it before I run out of matches, it won’t be a problem.”

It only took three more matches to find the right drawer, and one additional match to find Akira-sensei’s file.

“Let’s get out of here,” Shiori said as she carefully shut the drawer.

Kiyoko sighed and looked wistfully down the row. “So much information, so little time.”

“Leave it,” Shiori said. “It’ll be hard enough to return Akira-sensei’s file, you don’t need to take any others.”

“But the Hyuuga’s have three whole cabinets,” Kiyoko said sounding like a child being denied candy. “And you can’t tell me that you don’t want to read someone like Hatake Kakashi’s file.”

“Well, we’ve gotten in here once, if you want to come back so badly you can do it on your own time,” Shiori responded.

“You’re no fun,” Kiyoko complained but she gestured toward a door on the far side of the room. “Let’s go this way, I passed some windows that lead to a kind of park, garden area. On the other side of the park was a short fence; we hop that and we can get out of here without going all the way back.”

“Perfect,” Masaru said as he followed Kiyoko and Shiori toward the door. “Why didn’t we just come in that way?”

“It’s not like I snuck in here with my dad,” Kiyoko said. “I had to plan a route that was closest to the front door so we didn’t get lost. And we didn’t exactly do reconnaissance before putting this plan into action.”

“Maybe we should go back to the Academy,” Masaru muttered.

“Shh,” Kiyoko hissed as they moved as quickly and quietly through the darkness as they could.

Quicker than Masaru expected, but still far longer than he’d have liked, they reached the window Kiyoko had mentioned and she heaved it open. Shiori handed Masaru the file as wind and rain started lashing them; the storm had really picked up.

“Put this in your sweatshirt,” she said. “We really should have brought something to protect it from the rain.”

“We’re great at planning.”

If either Kiyoko or Shiori was planning to respond, the sound of approaching footsteps stopped them. Without hesitation, the three climbed out the window and jumped down, landing in the bushes below with varying degrees of grace. Masaru crouched, shielding the file in his sweatshirt as best he could as a voice floated through the window.

“Who left a window open in this weather?” The voice asked, sounding exasperated.

“Who cares?” Another voice answered, “Come on, just close it and move on, I’d like to get the power back on sometime tonight.”

“Hold on, I thought I heard something -”

“Yeah, the rain. Now close the damn window.”

The first voice muttered something that was lost in the wind and Masaru sighed in relief when he heard the window thud shut. Glancing to his left, he spotted Shiori crouched a short distance away motioning for them to wait. After a moment she nodded and the three genin dashed for the wall.

“That was amazing,” Kiyoko said once they were comfortably away from the Archives. “We did it.” She caught Masaru and Shiori in bone-crushing hugs before spinning away to do a victory dance in the rain. “We’re awesome.”

Masaru laughed at the sight of her jumping up and down in puddles, her blonde hair plastered to her face with rainwater.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” he said, the nerves that had been knotted in his stomach beginning to untie.

“Of course it worked,” Kiyoko said, swatting at him and missing by a mile. “How could we fail? Now let’s get out of the rain and learn something.”

“If you’d been this enthusiastic in class, you could’ve beaten Sakura,” Shiori said. The smile on her face was smaller than Kiyoko’s cheek-splitting grin but there was obviously joy and relief there.

“This is so much more exciting than anything we did in class,” Kiyoko responded.

“True. We should probably go back to my place” Shiori offered. “It’s a bit out of the way, but there’s no one there to bother us. Or ask why we have a file from the archives.”

“Good idea,” Masaru said as Kiyoko nodded. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you're enjoying the story so far!


	4. Plan A and Plan B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Takeda Kiyoko

Kiyoko looked around Shiori’s room with interest. Everything seemed very impersonal, cold, bland. It was almost as if Shiori didn’t live here or hadn’t lived here long at all. It was similar to Shiori herself in a way. All too often Shiori just tried to fade into the background and be forgotten. It was probably because she was worried about her family history, but Kiyoko didn’t really understand. Even so, there were subtle touches to the room that Shiori probably had added. The succulents growing on the table, the soft quilt on the bed with a faint cherry blossom pattern, those were all Shiori. 

Now that they were teammates Kiyoko was going to have to work on Shiori’s habit of fading away, she decided with a firm nod of her head. And she was also going to make more of an effort to get to know Masaru. Even though they’d been in the same class Masaru had often been less noticeable than the noisy boys or haughty one. Rally the only time she’d spent with Masaru was when she’d fixed him up with Ino’s cousin. Somehow Kiyoko was going to need to bring these two together and make the best team ever. 

“So that’s a yes to tea?” Shiori, unaware of Kiyoko’s internal monologue had been offering her guests drinks. 

“Yes!” Kiyoko blushed and smiled. “I love tea!” 

“Tea is nice,” Masaru said softly, his brown eyes lighting up at the prospect. 

Shiori got started making some. Kiyoko opened the file anyway, eager to check everything out. They’d already taken off their wet coats and left them by the door; hopefully they didn’t get any of the documents wet. 

Kiyoko pulled out pages at random, reading the things that looked the most exciting or interesting. Whatever she wasn’t messing with, Masaru was sorting into neat little sections. 

“I’m the same blood type as Akira-sensei!” Kiyoko giggled happily, waving the paper around for the other two to see. Sadly, neither of them seemed as interested in that sort of thing. It was very typical of type A blood people she thought with a sigh. 

“How about we focus on her training and missions?” Shiori said as she gave them their tea and sat back down. 

“Fine.” Kiyoko sighed. 

They sat and sorted papers for several hours, learning interesting things about their teacher, and some very alarming things, but nothing that seemed to address this test. Shiori seemed to read better on her feet so she was up and pacing back and forth as she read. Kiyoko wondered when she’d wear a hole in the floor.

“Eyes on your work.” Masaru tapped the small stack left in front of Kiyoko. 

Kiyoko sighed again, “I thought we finished with our studying days…” She pulled out a red folder from the bottom and opened it. 

At first, it seemed like the others, a break into some dangerous guys house and killing the bad guys. But as she kept reading she realized things were going wrong.

“Hey, this is it,” she said, her voice a little shaky. 

“What happened?” Masaru picked up a pencil to take notes. 

Kiyoko started reading, “Akira-sensei was captured in the house, her team escaped but decided to go back for her. Her sensei was killed right away, then one of her teammates was killed inside. Akira-sensei had been tortured, her last surviving teammate hauled her home, but he was so hurt that he just ran himself to death and he died after getting back.” 

It was horrible. Kiyoko put the folder down and felt queasy. “He was her fiance, too,” she added, softly. 

“They all died? Her whole team?” Masaru sounded shocked. 

“Yes,” Kiyoko said sadly. 

Shiori picked up the folder and read it again, her face blank, but Kiyoko could tell she was analyzing everything. 

“I copied down some notes but I don’t get it.” Masaru scratched his head with the end of the pencil. 

“Neither do I; it’s a perfectly planned mission. Everything just went sideways,” Shiori said. 

Kiyoko sighed sadly and looked down at all the papers around them. It was a big mess. But this story, it happened when poor Akira-sensei was young. It had to be important to her. How would Kiyoko feel in the same circumstance? Would she be willing to die just to save someone else? Which was more important, the mission or the people on the mission? Well to Kiyoko the answer seemed obvious, it was her team. It was the people of the village that mattered, not the missions. Look at them now, working together so hard just to stay together. It meant they were already a good team. Good enough to be trained as genin. 

She chuckled and smiled at them. “Don’t worry you guys. I got this.” She leaned into the table, speaking low and told them her plan. 

“That seems… reasonable,” Shiori said after Kiyoko finished. 

“Right?” Kiyoko leaned back on her hands and grinned. “Plus I have a backup plan so don’t worry anymore.” 

“What’s the backup plan?” Masaru asked. 

“Don’t you worry about it.” She stood up and stretched eagerly. “I’ll tell you all tomorrow but right now I need to get some air. Let’s meet right before we meet up with Akira-sensei.” She said, waving a little and heading for the door. 

“Okay?” Masaru looked after her. 

Shiori frowned a little.

Kiyoko pulled on her shoes. “Trust me! It’s part of teamwork,” she said happily. She opened the door and stepped outside with a content sigh. It felt good to be outside again and not cramped around the table. The rain had stopped, thankfully, and everything was left sparkling and silver shining in the moonlight. If the moon had been that bright before they would have had trouble. But Lady Luck was on their side. She grinned and hurried home. 

“Hello, House!” She called as she opened the front door. It was well past midnight but she always greeted the house, even if none of the members of her family were awake to hear her. Mother left on a mission two days ago and would probably be gone for weeks. And since Father’s shoes were gone she could only guess he was gone on a mission as well. Her two cats, Momo and Nana were probably curled up asleep somewhere. The house smelled strongly of paint thinner so it was no trouble to figure out what her little sister had been doing today. 

“Ayane! You have to open a window!” She sighed and ran inside after kicking off her shoes, going to quickly throw open a window. 

Their living room had been converted into Ayne’s art studio because it had the best light. Strewn all over were brushes and paints and a new piece of work on the easel.

After checking everything over Kiyoko went to the kitchen. There was a note from Father saying he was leaving and he’d left money for them. The little envelope with money was nearly empty though. Frowning, Kiyoko looked at the bags of groceries, realizing the twelve-year-old must have done the shopping. Inside the bags were all the usual twelve-year-old things, candy, sweets, salty chips. Nothing of substance for a shinobi. 

Despite coming from a very strong shinobi family, dear little Ayane couldn’t hurt a fly. So she’d been apprenticed to work for a local artist after leaving school. Sadly she didn’t really get that Kiyoko had to stick to a diet. Kiyoko was going to need something more substantial if she was going to train tomorrow with Akira-sensei. 

With a sigh, she went up to bed. She had a bunk over her sister’s bed and she sank into the mattress, setting her alarm for just before sun-up so she could get everything done she needed to tomorrow. 

Kiyoko rolled out of bed with a sigh when the alarm went off. 

“Why so early?” Ayane covered her head with a pillow. 

Kiyoko sighed. “Lots to do. And shopping for food.”

Ayane groaned, “We already have food. I went shopping yesterday.” 

Unable to resist she leaned in and tickled her sister. “You know that’s not real food! How about bread, vegetables, rice?” 

Ayane giggled and wiggled away, “Meanie.” She burrowed under the blankets. “It’s too early to go shopping.”

“Well, I have other things to do first. When I get back, I need your help putting things away ‘cause I’ll be busy.” 

“Okay okay.” Ayane sighed from under the blankets. “Did you like my new painting?” 

“It looks very nice.” Kiyoko nodded. She’d glanced at it last night. It was good that Ayane had found her own path and Kiyoko would support her however she could. 

Her first stop was to round up Plan B for the team. It took longer than she wanted but she still made it work. Afterwards, she ran around shopping, buying just enough to hold her and her sister over for a day or two. 

Her last stop was the bakery, she slipped in the back door where the baker Takara-san usually had some of the less pretty loaves she sold for whatever money people wanted to pay. She really was the soul of kindness mother always said. 

The back room was messy as always, flour everywhere and haphazardly stacked bowls here and there. But it smelled like a dream back here, and the ovens were working hard on some coconut cookies from the smell.

Kiyoko grabbed two loaves of bread and left the few pennies left over from the money their father had given them. Looks like the rest of the food money would have to come from her poor piggy bank. Mother and Father would pay her back of course, but they really needed to teach Ayane the value of money.

She went to the connecting door to the bakery front, hoping to at least say hello to Takara-san. Kiyoko listened at the door to hear if there was a customer first. When she heard a man’s voice she turned away, she could thank Takara-san another time. She paused mid-step though when she heard it was Iruka-sensei’s voice. 

Kiyoko knew she shouldn’t… but…. She grinned and put her eye to the keyhole, eager to see what sweets her favorite teacher liked. Looking through the small hole, she could just make out Takara-san; she had flour over her face and her apron was typically messy. Her dark blue hair was in a top bun, but the long strands had started slipping free. 

“That’s wonderful news about Naruto! I’m so glad.” She could hear Takara saying. 

“Now they have to pass Kakashi-senpai’s test. But I’m sure they will.” Iruka-sensei just barely stepped into view. 

“Yes of course.” Takara-san came around, stepping close to Iruka-sensei. 

Kiyoko grinned, she may only be sixteen but she could tell when two people liked each other. 

“I’ll let you know when he gets the final approval,” Iruka-sensei said. 

Takara-san clapped her hands, bouncing a little on the soles of her feet. “Oh good. I’ll make him some of his favorite cookies.” 

Poor Naruto had been shunned by most of the village, even Iruka at one point had shunned him. But Takara-san had always been firmly on the side of the young devil. As for Kiyoko, she liked Naruto well enough, but he could be pretty annoying. 

“I’m sure he’d like that.” Iruka-sensei nodded. “I was going to take him for ramen, but I’m sure he’ll be celebrating with his team from now on.”

Takara-san smiled at him and stepped closer, looking up at him with her deep blue eyes. Or maybe that was Kiyoko’s imagination. “Now, we both know he’ll always have time for you.” 

“We know he’ll always make time for ramen.” Iruka-sensei chuckled. 

Takara-san laughed and smiled. “I’ll make you some of the little cakes you like too. We can have a tea party to celebrate?” 

Kiyoko was nearly squealing with excitement. These two liked each other! It was sweet and adorable. Two of the nicest people in town. Her favorite baker and the best teacher ever. They were the perfect match. Now all Iruka-sensei had to do was accept and it would be a perfect date.

Iruka-sensei blushed, rubbing the back of his neck in an embarrassed manner. He gave her a little smile, “That would be lovely. I’m sure the teachers would look forward to that.” He nodded.

Kiyoko nearly screamed in frustration. He seemed like he liked her, why didn’t he accept? 

Takara-san blinked a few times, a rosy blush coming to her cheeks, “Ah yes, the teachers. Everyone. Of course. It will be fun!” She grinned and nodded, stepping away.

Iruka-sensei smiled and nodded. “I’ll go tell everyone! Is the day after tomorrow enough time?” 

Takara-san picked up a pencil and started writing on a pad of paper, “Oh yes. I’ll have everything ready.” She smiled and waved at him. 

Iruka-sensei left the shop with another smile and wave.

Kiyoko pouted. These people obviously needed help. Her help. Oh, they were going to be helped and someday they’d be married with three children and thank Kiyoko for being an angel. 

Quickly leaving before she was caught, Kiyoko hurried back home. She dropped off the food and quickly started eating some bread for breakfast. Ayane was already painting again but promised to help put the food away before it spoiled. 

Kiyoko was going to be late by the time she started running for their meeting. She hurried through the streets, not watching where she was going. 

“Watch out!” Someone shouted. 

Kiyoko froze and realized she’d very nearly stepped on poor little Akamaru’s tail. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” She blushed. “I was distracted.” She crouched down and held out her hand for the puppy to sniff. 

Akamaru apparently wasn’t offended by the near-miss because he licked her hand and gave her a happy little yip. 

Kiba laughed and picked him up. “Sorry, we’re waiting here for Shino.” He sighed unhappily. 

“Shino is nice. You’ll get along in no time!” Kiyoko grinned at her former classmate. 

Kiba raised an unhappy eyebrow, “Oh yeah? Name one thing we have in common.” 

Kiyoko struggled for a minute, “You’re both fond of animals?” She suggested

Akamaru growled a little and so did Kiba, matching expressions of annoyance. “Bugs are not animals.” Kiba huffed. 

Kiyoko giggled, “Okay so maybe you don’t have much in common yet. But you’ll still have fun. And Hinata is great.” 

“Yeah, she should be fine.” Kiba shrugged, “How is your team? You got lucky being with your best friend Shiori.”

“Yes! I’m so excited. But you wouldn’t believe about Akira-sensei! She’s not at all like she was in school.” Kiyoko frowned. “I’ll tell you all about it later but I’ve got to run. Good luck!” She waved and dashed off. 

She got up to the academy after one more side trip. Masaru and Shiori were already waiting and they both looked a little uncomfortable. Masaru’s curlyish hair had frizzed from the rain yesterday and now had extra curls in it. Shiori looked collected as usual, but Kiyoko could tell by the way she wiggled in her grey shoes that she was not at ease. 

“Sorry! I had to grab my Plan B.” Kiyoko said breathlessly as she ran up to them. 

“That’s Plan B?” Masaru looked at the birdcage in Kiyoko’s hand. “My mother will kill me if I go back. This has to work.” He said nervously. 

Kiyoko smiled at him. “Don’t be a worrywart. We’ll be fine”

Shiori nodded, “We have two arguments to try and if neither work we still have two more hours to come up with something else.”

“So this had better work.” Masaru sighed.

“It will! Now, where is Sensei?” Kiyoko looked around.

“I found her over there, she’s just lounging around reading. I think she’s waiting for us.” Shiori pointed to a bench in the park across from the academy. 

“Perfect. Now, hold this behind your back Masaru. I can’t talk without using my hands and we don’t want her to see it yet.” Kiyoko passed him the birdcage and they went to stand before their teacher. 

“So, you've decided to come together?” Akira-sensei said, lounging on the bench. Their sensei looked just the same as always; her brown hair was styled simply, and she wore a long black jacket over her green tank top and black capri pants. “I assume this means you've reached a civil consensus?”

Kiyoko stepped forward. “Well, you told us that someone had to go back. And we knew that made no sense. You yourself trained us. Why would you put all your time and effort into just sending someone back? We knew it was a deeper test than that. So we thought about it and we… ummm learned more stuff... and we realized what it was you were really asking.” 

Indeed, Kiyoko hadn’t stopped waving her arms while she talked, and her mouth was terribly dry. Why was it so dry? She really needed to drink more water she scolded herself. And eat real food. Her stomach churned like it often did on test day. Must not upchuck on the teacher, she reminded herself sternly. 

“And what did I really mean?” Akira-sensei said, looking aloof and confused about why Kiyoko had stopped talking. 

Kiyoko swung her arms around like a windmill once, winding herself up again to give the answer. Shiori dodged to the side, nearly getting hit by Kiyoko’s waving arms. 

“You meant for us to realize you were giving us a non-choice. The kind we’ll be faced with in the real world. We were taught them on paper, but this is the first time it’s been so personal and serious. You want us to know that feeling. And more than that, you want us to think of a way out of it. Because you don’t want to send us back. And because we’re a team, and staying together as a team means everything. So we are going to convince you to let us stay. We’re a good team, the three of us can work together. We can handle these choices and you can’t force us to pick someone to go back because we’re all going to be together one way or the other.” Kiyoko really should have practiced, she was rambling a bit. But hopefully her point got across. 

That was it, that was the argument. Basic, obvious, and so flimsy now that it's out in the open. But it had to be what she was after. After what happened to her team she must want them to see how staying together is dangerous, but they weren’t giving up.

“That's your decision, is it?” Akira-sensei asked, her face a mask with no emotion. It was startling how those normally so expressive lips and eyebrows could suddenly freeze and give nothing away. 

“Yes,” Kiyoko nodded quickly.

“And you two,” she turned to Shiori and Masaru. “Do you agree with Kiyoko’s assessment?”

“Yes, Sensei.” Shiori nodded firmly. 

“Yes,” Masaru said with a short nod.

Akira-sensei stood up and turned away Kiyoko could feel her heart drop as she heard Akira-sensei sigh.

“But!” Kiyoko said loudly, realizing it was time to deploy Plan B. “You said that we HAD to send someone back,” Kiyoko gestured to Masaru to show what he was holding. “So here,” she held out the birdcage. “Send him back.”

In the cage was a small red-breasted finch, the type of bird Akira-sensei kept in class years ago. He’d been their class mascot until Kiyoko herself had set him free one night after getting mad at Akira-sensei. Well, now she was returning the bird, sending him back to school in the place of one of their team. It wasn’t the same bird obviously, but it had to work anyway.

Akira-sensei turned around and when she saw the bird she busted out laughing. The face that had been so intimidating was now the friendly and lovely sensei they’d always known. She looked truly beautiful when she laughed, her eyes sparkled above her delicate cheekbones. 

‘What does this mean?’ Masaru mouthed at Shiori and Kiyoko.

All Kiyoko could do was shrug as Akira-sensei took a deep breath to calm down.

“Oh, man,” she gasped, putting a hand on her stomach. “I did not expect the bird.” She chuckled again and sighed. “Okay, give it here.”

Masaru passed over the cage to her, still looking confused. “So?” Masaru asked.

“So, go home, eat some lunch and I'll see you at training ground six at 1 o'clock,” Akira-sensei said, holding up the bird and whistling to it.

“We passed?” Masaru said, still not trusting the sudden turn of good fortune. 

“I was right?” Kiyoko asked excitedly. 

“Seriously?” Shiori sounded relieved. 

Akira-sensei laughed again. “Oh you're going to be a fun team, I can tell. Yes, you passed. Yes, your argument was good. And yes, seriously. Now go on; but eat something light, I'll be pushing you hard today.”

Kiyoko grabbed Shiori and Masaru under their arms and started dragging them away. “We did it, we did it, we did it!” She bounced happily.

“I can’t believe it! We finally made it!” Shiori said, smiling at them as they walked. 

“I feel even better today than graduation day,” Masaru said with a happy sigh, rolling his shoulders. 

“Oh, and my dear little genin,” Akira-sensei said, catching up with them. “One more thing.”

Kiyoko looked at her and glared a little, not trusting Akira-sensei really. Was it another test? 

“I'll take folder you ‘borrowed’.” She simply held out her hand and smiled while they passed back the archive folder and wondered how she knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the support so far everyone! I hope you're all having as much fun as we are.


	5. Games Genin Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Kagemura Shiori

Shiori had been a confusing mixture of surprised, relieved, and excited when Kiyoko’s plan had worked. From the beginning, the plan had seemed feeble to Shiori. What if they couldn’t get into the Archives, or they got caught? What if they got in and there were no mission reports? What if they did find reports and they were useless? What if everything went perfectly and they still couldn’t figure out what to tell Akira-sensei? There were far too many variables for Shiori to feel confident, or even comfortable. But she trusted Kiyoko; and if Kiyoko wanted to try something that reckless, Shiori would do what she could to make it successful. And it had been. Somehow.

They’d only gone on three ‘missions’ in the two weeks since Akira-sensei had accepted them as students. Though Shiori could hardly consider babysitting, tending a garden, or cleaning the archives proper missions. She was pretty sure that the last one wasn’t even official. But what the missions had lacked in difficulty or excitement, Akira-sensei had more than made up for in their training sessions. She’d been pushing them mercilessly each day practicing chakra control, taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. Every evening, Shiori barely had the energy to throw together something to eat before collapsing into bed. Every morning, she woke up aching, but oddly invigorated. Shiori had never been a slacker, but the level of work she’d put into her training now was beyond anything she’d experienced before. She loved it. If only because it meant that half the time she was too focused - or too tired - to think about anything else. 

“She’s trying to kill us,” Masaru gasped as he caught up to Shiori on the track that ran around the training ground. 

They’d been there since sunrise; sparring, meditating, and now running laps. All while Akira-sensei watched carefully, her blue eyes assessing for any weakness.

“She might succeed,” Shiori admitted, holding her side.

Ahead of the pair, Kiyoko looked back with a grin. “What? Getting tired?” 

“How do you have this much energy?” Masaru groaned.

“She eats a lot of sugar,” Shiori responded.

In truth, Kiyoko was simply a runner. When she was bored, she ran. Nervous? Time for a run. Unhappy, run it away. The first time Shiori had met her - outside of class - Kiyoko had nearly run her over. 

“Hey,” Akira-sensei called from where she was relaxing near a pond. The morning had grown warm enough that she’d shed the long black jacket she usually wore and was laying on it as she sunned herself in her dark green tank-top. “If you’ve got enough breath to chat, you aren’t running fast enough.”

Kiyoko laughed and raced ahead, her blonde hair flying wildly behind her.

“I’m too tired to hate her,” Masaru muttered, shaking his head and trying to pick up the pace.

Shiori was just starting to wonder if it was possible to run her feet to the bone when Akira-sensei called for them to take a break and join her by the pond.

“How are you feeling?” She asked as Shiori and Masaru collapsed on the ground next to her.

“Great,” Kiyoko responded, winded but happy.

Akira-sensei laughed and patted the grass. “Good on you, now have a seat,” she said before turning to her other students. “What about you two?”

Masaru groaned and Shiori gestured vaguely in his direction. “What he said.”

“Ah,” Akira-sensei said, stretching a bit and running a hand through her chestnut brown hair. “I suppose I should just tell the others we won’t be coming this afternoon, then.”

“Wait, what?” Masaru asked, opening an eye to study her expression.

“Oh, we were going to do a little joint training session with all the new genin but if you’re too tired, I understand. I’ve been pushing you hard lately-”

“No!” Kiyoko jumped to her feet. “We can still go. We’re not that tired, right team?”

Masaru sat up and narrowed his eyes at Akira-sensei. “What kind of joint training session?”

“Just a little game to see how far you’ve progressed, how well you work as a team, nothing you can’t miss if you don’t think you’re up for it.”

“I everyone’s going to be there, we should probably go too,” Masaru said.

“It would be rude not to,” Shiori agreed.

Akira-sensei grinned and jumped to her feet, brushing grass off her black pants and slinging her long coat over one shoulder. “Excellent. You three go ahead and grab something to eat, I’ll meet you at training ground 10 in two hours.”

Before anyone could respond, she was gone.

“She does that a lot,” Kiyoko said, looking around the training ground as if she expected Akira-sensei to reappear. 

Masaru shrugged and climbed to his feet. “What’s cooler, walking away or just vanishing?”

“Vanishing; no doubt,” Kiyoko said as she pulled Shiori to her feet. “Let’s go out to eat today, I’m thinking sushi.”

“Sure,” Shiori said, allowing Kiyoko to link arms with her, and then Masaru.

“Now, there are a few things we need to discuss before we meet with the other teams,” Kiyoko said, taking on a professional tone as she steered her teammates toward her favorite sushi restaurant. 

Shiori barely managed to suppress a groan. Normally, Kiyoko wasn’t particularly competitive but when it came to proving herself to her classmates, she could be ruthless.

“We’ve been training really hard,” she continued, oblivious to - or choosing to ignore - Shiori’s exasperation. “And I’m sure the other teams have too, but we’ve got to give it our all. There’s no way I’m letting Sakura or Ino think they’ve gotten better than me!”

“I don’t mean to sound rude toward either Sakura or Ino,” Masaru said. “But I don’t think you have to worry about them having got better than you.” 

Kiyoko grinned at him and nodded. “Thanks, but still, no slacking off!”

Masaru laughed. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m looking forward to bringing Kiba down a notch.”

“Isn’t he your best friend?” Kiyoko asked.

“Sure,” Masaru shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to kick his ass.”

Kiyoko looked at Shiori and shook her head. “I just don’t get it.”

“You were just talking about not wanting Sakura or Ino to surpass you,” Shiori pointed out.

“Yeah, but they’re not my best friends,” Kiyoko responded as if the difference were obvious. “I don’t want to compete with you.”

Shiori smiled and squeezed Kiyoko’s arm a little. “I don’t think you need to worry about that. I’m not the competitive type.”

Kiyoko grinned, “Maybe be a bit competitive against the other teams today at least.”

“What do you think we’ll be doing?” Masaru asked.

“I bet it’ll be some kind of knock-down-drag-out pit fight,” Kiyoko said, trying to punch in the air without letting go of either of their arms. “Every ninja for themselves!”

“How would that showcase our improvements in teamwork?” Masaru asked.

“I don’t know,” Kiyoko admitted. “But it’d be fun.”

“And you’d have an excuse to punch Ino,” Shiori added.

“Like I need one,” Kiyoko scoffed.

“Now Kiyoko,” Masaru said with a teasing tone. “Is this anger because you feel threatened by Ino’s affection for Sasuke?”

Kiyoko dropped Masaru’s arm and rounded on him with a dangerous look on her face. “You wanna say that again, pretty boy?”

Shiori arched her eyebrows at Kiyoko’s description; she’d say Masaru was more handsome than pretty.

Masaru laughed and held up his hands in defense. “Hey, settle down. I was just joking.”

“Kiyoko has strong feelings about Sasuke,” Shiori said as Kiyoko huffed and walked a few steps ahead.

“Don’t we all,” Masaru said, still chuckling.

“Not really,” Shiori said and the same moment Kiyoko yelled, “He’s just so mean!”

“Why don’t we just focus on lunch?” Masaru asked as they reached the restaurant.

Team Kurenai was already at the training ground when Shiori, Kiyoko, and Masaru arrived after lunch. Akamaru yipped happily ran circles around everyone before stopping and putting his front paws on Masaru’s legs.

“Hey, Akamaru,” Masaru said, picking up the puppy. “Hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to have to beat Kiba in whatever this is that we’re doing.”

Kiba laughed. “Yeah right, dream on Masaru. You haven’t got a chance.”

“We’ll see if you’re so confident after you see how much we’ve improved,” Masaru shot back.

Shiori smiled as she watched the pair. Normally, Masaru was pretty calm but Kiba really brought the competitive side out of him. 

“Hey Hinata, Shino,” Kiyoko said, nudging Hinata with her shoulder. “How’s it going?”

“G-good,” Hinata stammered. “It’s nice to see you; have you been training hard?”

“Yeah,” Kiyoko said with a dramatic sigh. “Akira-sensei hasn’t given us a moment’s rest. You?”

“We have also been training hard,” Shino said. “That is because we wish to become skilled shinobi and so we must be dedicated to our training.”

“Exactly,” Kiyoko said, grinning at the stoic ninja.

“Kiyoko, Shiori, how can you two stand being on a team with this bum?” Kiba asked, throwing his arm around Masaru’s shoulders.

“You’re just jealous you’re not on our team instead,” Kiyoko said with a flip of her wild hair.

“Why would I want to be on  _ your _ team?” Kiba scoffed. “Team 8 is clearly the best team to come out of the Academy in generations.”

“What?!” Naruto’s voice echoed across the training grounds. “I don’t think so! No way! Team 7 can beat Team 8 any day! Believe it!”

Shiori grimaced as Kiyoko rounded on Naruto with her hands on her hips.

“Here we go,” Masaru muttered and shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown pants.

“Sure, Naruto, whatever you say,” Kiyoko said, rolling her eyes. “Just you wait, my team’s going to wipe the floor with both of you,” she added, pointing to Kiba and Naruto.

“This is why we can’t have nice things?” Shiori said to Masaru, gesturing between Kiyoko, Kiba, and Naruto as they began arguing in earnest about which team was best.

“She is right though,” Masaru said. “They’ve got nothing on us.”

Sasuke scoffed from where he was standing to the side, pointedly away from the other genin.

“Shut up,” Masaru shot at him with a glare. “No one likes you.”

Shiori glanced at Masaru in surprise. She hadn’t known Masaru long, at least not as anything more than acquaintances, but he’d always been polite. What was between him and Sasuke to elicit that kind of reaction?

“Well, it looks like most of us are here.” Asuma-sensei’s arrival with his team stopped Shiori from prying into Masaru’s opinion of Sasuke. “But where are Kakashi and Akira?”

“Kakashi-sensei is  _ always _ late,” Sakura said with a long-suffering sigh.

“Akira-sensei has a tendency to be late as well these days,” Masaru said. 

Shiori caught Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sense sharing a glance that she couldn’t interpret before Asuma-sensei laughed. “Well, I suppose we should wait a little longer for them before we get started.” 

“Can you at least tell us what we’re doing here?” Sasuke asked. Judging by his tone of voice, Shiori could tell he wasn’t delighted about having to participate in a group training exercise. 

“As you know, the reason we organize genin teams into cells of three, with a jounin sensei, is so you can learn to work effectively in small units,” Kurenai-sensei explained. “You’ve just begun training together as a team and we thought you’d enjoy seeing how your teamwork is progressing.”

She pulled a handful of cloth strips from a bag at her feet and showed them to everyone. “Each team has its own color and each team member will have their own stip of cloth tied somewhere on their person. Your goal is to collect as many pieces of cloth from the other teams as possible before time runs out.”

Kurenai-sensei handed each team their strips. Her team color was red, Asuma-sensei’s team was blue, Kakashi-sensei’s team was white. The strips she handed Shiori, Masaru, and Kiyoko were the same dark green of the tank-top Akira-sensei usually wore. Shiori tied her strip to her upper arm and had Kiyoko tighten it before doing the same for her.

“You’re late again,” Sakura yelled as Kakashi-sensei and Akira-sensei arrived.

“My pet rock died, we had to give it a proper funeral,” Kakashi-sensei said.

“It was a moving ceremony,” Akira-sensei added without missing a beat.

Sakura made a disgusted noise and crossed her arms.

“I assume you’ve explained everything?” Akira-sensei asked

Asuma-sensei nodded.

“There aren’t any strips for you,” Ino said, frowning at Asuma-sensei.

“No, this is just for the genin,” Asuma responded, with a smile. “Wouldn’t be fair if we were involved.”

“You’re going to bet on us, aren’t you?” Kiyoko asked.

“Of course not,” Kurenai said.

“Absolutely,” Akira said at the same time.

“Akira!”

Akira-sensei ignored Kurenai-sensei and motioned toward the field. “Go on, you’ve got an hour,” she said as Kurenai-sensei pulled an alarm clock out of the bag that held the cloths. 

“And remember,” Akira-sensei called after the genin as they started walking toward the field. “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, just don’t embarrass me!”

“I don’t remember her being this strange,” Shikamaru said, looking over his shoulder.

“That’s one word for her,” Masaru responded.

The four teams stood in a circle with Asuma-sensei in the center. On Shiori’s left, Kiyoko was already preparing herself to sprint into action; the rambunctious blonde was making playful lunges toward the other teams and grinning whenever she got a reaction. Shiori exchanged a look with Masaru and he nodded, moving closer to Kiyoko as Shiori plotted out the best way to reach the treeline when Asuma-sensei gave the word. 

“Okay,” Asuma-sensei said. “As Akira said, you’ve got one hour. The team that collects the most strips win. I know you’re all excited to test out your skills, but try not to kill each other,” he added with a smile. 

He held up an arm and looked at each genin in turn. “Begin!”

Asuma-sensei vanished and Kiyoko immediately dashed toward Hinata, reaching for the cloth tied to her belt. Hinata dodged and Masaru moved forward to block an attempt from Shino to grab Kiyoko’s cloth while she was distracted. Kiyoko danced away from Hinata and Shino, trusting Masaru to have her back as she wove between the genin causing as much chaos and confusion as she could. 

As soon as Asuma-sensei vanished, Shiori bolted toward the line of trees at the edge of the training ground. With Kiba and Chouji on the field, Shiori was at a disadvantage if it came down to a taijutsu fight. She didn’t like her odds against Sasuke or Shikamaru in a ninjutsu contest either. Shiori jumped into the branches as soon as she reached the treeline and began moving as silently as possible, trying to hear anything above the sounds of fighting in the field behind her. 

Ahead, the sound of bickering reached her ears and Shiori slowed to a crawl as she listened to Sakura and Ino arguing about who was a better kunoichi. It was an argument Shiori had heard the pair fight over more than once in class, and it was an argument that Shiori just didn’t understand wasting time on. 

She stopped on a branch above their heads and pulled a small white flower out of a pouch on her belt. Taking a deep breath, she tapped into her chakra and felt it course through her, gentle but persistent like a stream cutting a path through a canyon. She siphoned off a sliver of the chakra and pushed it into the flower before dropping it between the bickering kunoichi. When it reached their eye level, Shiori released the jutsu and a burst of sweet fragrance washed over the pair, pulling them into an illusion.

_ Two down _ , Shiori thought as she slipped off the branch and collected their strips of cloth. 

Shiori dodged to the side just in time to avoid a kunai that embedded itself in the tree she’d been about to jump into.

“Give me your cloth, and the ones you took from Sakura and Ino, and I’ll let you go,” Sasuke said as Shiori turned to face him.

Shiori felt her pulse increase and her muscles tense; she didn’t have as strong an opinion on Sasuke as Kiyoko and Masaru did, but she was certainly wary of his skills. It didn’t help that the Uchiha and Kagemura clans had a long history; composed mostly of the Uchiha thwarting Kagemura efforts.

Before Sasuke could move to stop her, Shiori took to the trees and raced away. Someday, she might have to test herself against the last Uchiha, but not today.

She could hear him following her through the branches and glanced behind her, almost missing the shadow that was stretching toward her from ahead. With a sudden twist, she changed directions in time to narrowly avoid Shikamaru’s shadow possession jutsu. Fortunately, Sasuke reacted just a millisecond slower and Shikamaru managed to trap him instead.

Shiori let out a breathless laugh, in spite of herself. “Good timing, Shikamaru,” she said, turning toward where he was half concealed by leaves. 

She gathered her chakra again and extended her hand toward Shikamaru as if asking him to hand her something or help her to her feet. Shikamaru’s eyes widened as he’s trapped in her genjutsu and she has just enough time to grab his strip of cloth before Sasuke is on her. 

Shiori dodged under a punch and twirled around Sasuke as he recovered and aimed a kick toward her side. Flipping out of range, she crouched on a branch and waited for his next move. Trying to trap an Uchiha in a genjutsu was a risk Shiori had been warned about since she first found out she was coming to Konoha. Rule One: be a good hostage. Rule Two: don’t antagonize the Uchiha. Even though the majority of the Uchiha clan had been massacred, Shiori had taken Rule Two seriously. 

“Last chance,” Sasuke said. “Give me all the strips you have, and you can go.”

Shiori sighed and shook her head. “Tempting,” she said with an almost wistful smile. “But my team’s counting on me.”

She turned and ran as Sasuke threw a handful of kunai at her; if she could get out of his range of sight for just a second, it might give her the time she needed to trap him. Shiori’s eyes widened as a wave of heat rushed across her back and she turned just in time to shield herself from the fireball Sasuke had launched at her. The force of the attack sent her flying through the trees and back onto the field where the rest of the genin were still in combat.

She gasped as Masaru caught her in midair and the pair skidded to a halt on the grass as Kiyoko ran up to them.

“You can’t count the strips if they’re burned to cinders,” Kiyoko yelled into the trees at Sasuke who was waiting just past the treeline.

“Thanks,” Shiori said to Masaru. “Did he singe my hair?” She asked, gathering her long locks and examining the edges.

“Looks fine to me,” he answered.

“Good, that would’ve really upset me.”

Shiori stood back-to-back with Masaru and Kiyoko as the three surveyed the field.

“It looks like it’s just us, Team 8, and Sasuke,” Kiyoko said. “I’m having trouble with Team 8. Between Hinata’s byakugan, Shino’s bugs, and Kiba and Akamaru running interference, they’ve got a great defense.” 

“If I draw Kiba away, can you get to Shino or Hinata?” Masaru asked.

“Probably,” Kiyoko responded. “I have a trick up my sleeve that I’ve been saving.”

“Okay,” Shiori said. “Take these.” She discreetly handed the strips she’d taken from Ino, Sakura, and Shikamaru to Kiyoko. “You’ve got the best chance of not getting caught.”

“Take Chouji’s as well,” Masaru said, handing Kiyoko the blue cloth.

“I’ve got Sasuke,” Shiori said; that fireball had annoyed her more than she wanted to admit. 

“I’ve got Kiba,” Masaru responded.

“Let’s go,” Kiyoko yelled and raced toward Hinata again.

“Hey, Kiba,” Masaru called, running toward him. “You’re not getting tired yet, are you?”

“Ha, you wish,” Kiba yelled as he and Akamaru ran to intercept Masaru.

Right before they reached each other, Kiyoko shouted, expelling massive amounts of air from her lungs and stirring up a cloud of dust. 

Shiori used the moment of low visibility to run toward Sasuke, hoping that the dust distracted him enough that she could get his cloth and get out. She stifled a gasp and dropped to the ground as Sasuke’s leg kicked out at where her head had just been. Apparently, he wasn’t that distracted.

_ I should have known better, _ she thought, turning and trying to sweep Sasuke’s legs out from under him.

He jumped, easily dodging and flipping in the air before aiming a punch at her face. Shiori blocked the blow with her forearms, the momentum pushing her back and she scrambled to regain her footing. Somewhere to the right, a triumphant yell from Kiba - and swearing from Masaru - warned Shiori that he had taken Masaru’s cloth. She resisted the urge to glance at Kiyoko to see how she was doing; the opponent in front of her required all her attention. 

Shiori bent backward, avoiding another punch while at the same time kicking forward and catching Sasuke in the stomach. It wasn’t her most graceful attack but it was enough to send Sasuke jumping backward. He started circling, trying to maneuver Shiori so her back was to the rest of the field. Unwilling to be stuck between Sasuke and Kiba, Shiori made a snap decision and rushed forward, leaping just before she reached Sasuke and rolling past him, toward the trees. With a quick spin, Sasuke kicked out and struck Shiori in the side as she was regaining her footing, sending her tumbling hard into a tree. Before she could recover, he was there, his hand fisted into her shirt as he took the cloth from her arm.

Shiori glared at him, more than a little tempted to try trapping him in a genjutsu, despite the fact that she was out of the game. 


	6. Girls Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV Hayashi Akira

“So, teaching your students to set one another on fire is standard for you, Kakashi-senpai?” Akira asked as she watched Shiori come flying from the trees in the wake of Sasuke’s fireball.

“She got away in time,” Kakashi responded with a shrug, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“If she hadn’t, we would be having a very different discussion.”

Asuma laughed. “Be careful, Kakashi, it looks like Akira’s gotten attached to this team.”

“Of course,” Akira said. “They’re clearly the best.”

“Kurenai’s team is giving them a run for their money,” Asuma teased, nodding to the standoff between Kiyoko, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. 

“Well, Kurenai gets the best of everything, doesn’t she?” Akira shot back with a wink that had both the jounin blushing.

“It looks like Shiori managed to collect a few strips,” Kurenai said, trying to move the conversation back to the genin.

Akira smirked as she watched Shiori and Masaru hand their collected strips to Kiyoko; it was a smart move. 

“The only ones not on the field are Sakura, Ino, and Shikamaru,” Kakashi said.

“Not looking good for you two, is it?” Akira asked. “Kurenai, we should start thinking about what kind of sake we want these losers to buy us.”

“Oh, you know I’m always partial to shochu,” Kurenai said.

“Excellent choice,” Akira said, leaning toward Kurenai. “If your team or mine wins, why don’t we split the winnings and have a girls’ night?”

“Hedging your bet, Akira?” Asuma laughed.

Akira shrugged. “It’s important for kunoichi to stick together, Asuma-senpai,” she said with a mock-serious tone. 

“And gossip together,” Asuma added in an undertone to Kakashi.

The teachers turned their attention back to the genin in time to watch Kiyoko use a jutsu to stir up a dust storm.

“Impressive,” Asuma muttered.

Akira smirked but didn’t respond as she watched Kiyoko dart toward Hinata. The blonde kunoichi changed direction at the last moment, slipping between Hinata and Shino and pulling the cloth strip from Shino’s pocket.

At the same moment, Kiba tackled Masaru and Akamaru dashed forward to take the cloth tied around Masaru’s ankle.

“Oh, this is getting good,” Akira said as she watched Kiyoko dance around Hinata, deftly avoiding blows as she tried to get close enough to take Hinata’s cloth. “We should do this more often.” 

“I don’t know if my pride could take it,” Asuma said as Sakura, Ino, and Shikamaru came walking toward them from the trees.

“Poor Asuma,” Akira teased. “Looks like you’re out.”

“Don’t get cocky,” Asuma said, nodding to where Sasuke had just taken Shiori’s cloth. 

“It’s down to Kiba and Akamaru, Sasuke, and Kiyoko,” Kurenai said. “What an interesting competition.”

Akira glanced to the side, where the eliminated genin had congregated.

“They should hurry,” Shino said. “Because they will soon reach the time limit and they will lose by default.”

Shiori and Masaru exchanged a look and Akira could tell what they were thinking. Kiyoko had the most strips, all she had to do was stay away from the others. 

Akira smiled as Kiba finally lost his patience with the standoff and launched himself toward Sasuke while Akamaru ran toward Kiyoko. If Sasuke and Kiba focused on each other for the rest of the time, Kiyoko had a very good chance of winning. 

The blonde dodged Akamaru with a gleeful laugh that Akira could hear even above Ino and Sakura cheering for Sasuke.

“He’s not even on your team,” Shikamaru reminded Ino.

“So what?” Ino shot back.

Their cheers reached an ear-splitting level when Sasuke claimed Kiba’s strip and Akira turned to Kakashi. “Looks like you have quite the ladies-man on your team, Kakashi-senpai,” she teased.

Kakashi glanced at her but didn’t dignify her comment with a response. 

“Go Sasuke!” Ino yelled. “You can beat Kiyoko any day!”

“I will trap you in another genjutsu,” Shiori hissed at her.

“Now, now, children,” Akira said, winking at Shiori when the genin looked toward her. “They’ve only got a few more minutes,” Akira continued, leaning toward Kakashi. “He’s not going to catch her.”

“He might,” Kakashi responded.

Akira turned her attention back to Kiyoko and Sasuke in time to see the raven-haired shinobi begin to make hand-signs. For a moment, Kiyoko seemed frozen in place but she jumped aside just as Sasuke released a stream of fire from his mouth. She laughed and threw a handful of shuriken back at him for good measure as she raced around the field. Sasuke dodged her shuriken and gave chase but the blonde kunoichi was too far ahead.

The alarm rang, bringing an end to the exercise, and Shiori and Masaru dashed toward Kiyoko.

“You did it,” Masaru said. “That was amazing.”

“We did it,” Kiyoko corrected, pulling him and Shiori into a hug. “We rocked it.”

Akira watched with a smile as the other genin gathered around Kiyoko to congratulate her. “Bad luck,” she said to the other jounin. “I’ll look forward to a bottle of shochu delivered to my apartment this evening. Kurenai,” she leaned closer to the other kunoichi, “I’ll stop by your place around nine; do you think we should invite these two to drink with us?”

Kurenai made it a point to critically study Asuma and Kakashi. “I’m not sure, I kind of like the idea of a girls’ night.”

“Very bad luck for you two,” Akira said with a mischievous smile before moving to join her team. “Well done, you three,” she beamed. “I’m so proud. I think you’ve more than earned an afternoon treat.”

Kiyoko grinned and linked arms with Shiori and Masaru. “Yes! I want dango!”

“Just what you need, more sugar,” Shiori said, though she was smiling.

“I need to replenish my energy,” Kiyoko said. 

Akira laughed as Kiyoko half-dragged her teammates in her wake; she certainly didn’t seem to be lacking energy.

“Better luck next time, Sasuke,” Kiyoko said as she passed the Uchiha. 

He scoffed and turned away. 

Kiyoko stuck her tongue out at him and, to Akira’s surprise, Masaru made a rude gesture at his back.

“Okay, Masaru,” Shiori said, catching the gesture as well. “I have to know, what’s your issue with Sasuke?”

Masaru glanced back, checking to see that they were out of earshot of the others. “My dad worked at the Intelligence Division,” he said. His dark brown eyes flickered toward Akira for a moment; Akira had left the Interrogation squad by the time Masaru’s father joined the Intelligence Division, but they had known each other in passing. Akira was more than willing to wait for Masaru to broach the topic when he was ready. When he inevitably wanted to know more about what his father was like as a professional, Akira would tell him what she could. 

“One day,” Masaru continued. “He forgot his lunch so Emi and I went to give it to him. He didn’t really like it when we came to his work, for obvious reasons.” He glanced at Akira again and shrugged. “That day, right as Emi and I arrived, they were bringing in a man to be interrogated. When they walked him past us, he looked at me.” Masaru paused and frowned, as if he were trying to find the right words. “The look in his eyes, I’ll never forget it. It was evil. I don’t know how to describe it; it was like everything decent had been taken out of him and replaced with hatred.” He shivered and shook his head like he was trying to shake the memory away. “I’ve seen that same look in Sasuke’s eyes. It’s not always there, but I’ve seen it. Sasuke’s dangerous; he’s not the kind of guy you want to have to rely on.”

Akira studied Masaru, surprised by his insight. 

“Geez, Masaru,” Kiyoko said. “I thought you were going to say he stole your lunch once, or something.”

Masaru shrugged, watching his feet with apparent interest. “I thought you should know. It’s only a matter of time before he does something terrible and I don’t want it to be to either of you.”

“Masaru,” Shiori’s voice was soft, her grey eyes wide with surprise and concern.

“Hey, come on,” Kiyoko said, tightening her grip on Masaru. “We can totally take Sasuke if we have to, no problem!”

Masaru smiled and rolled his eyes. “Right, how could I forget.” 

“Come on, Akira-sensei,” Kiyoko said, looking over her shoulder toward Akira. “Tell him we could take Sasuke!”

Akira smiled. “You just did, didn’t you?”

“Yeah we did!” Kiyoko said, hugging Shiori and Masaru tighter as they continued toward the sweets stand.

  
  


Girls night was fun; she and Kurenai had both needed to decompress - more than Akira had realized. They’d have to do it again soon; though perhaps with less potent sake. She giggled as she walked back to her house. 

“I am a world-class kunoichi,” she said to herself as the world wobbled a bit. “I do not stagger home.” 

“World-class?” A voice behind her spoke.

Akira whirled around and ran straight into Kakashi, planting her face against his collarbone. 

Kakashi laughed and put a friendly hand on her shoulder, putting some space back between them. 

“Kakashi.” She smiled a little. “Thank you for the excellent sake,” she said, running a hand through her chestnut hair in an attempt to make sure she was presentable. 

“Yes, I can tell you enjoyed it.” The laughter in his voice was unmistakable. 

She giggled and nodded. “Wish you could have been there, maybe next time your team will be up to the challenge, Kakashi,” she teased, drawing out each syllable in his name. 

His eyebrows went up and he laughed, “No ‘senpai’ this time, Akira?” 

The way he said her name sent a shiver down her spine, but maybe that was just the cool night breeze. 

“Not tonight.” She shrugged; unwilling to admit she’d just forgotten to use the honorific she normally used to tease him. 

“Well that is a nice change,” Kakashi said, sounding happy. He still hadn’t taken his cool hand from her shoulder. 

Akira certainly wasn’t going to complain about the contact, from this close she could see the starlight reflected in his dark eye. Kakashi was very interesting to look at, to say the least. She smiled up at him and tried to lean in a little.

“It is? Now you can’t tell me something like that. I’ll keep teasing you if I know it gets to you.” She giggled again. Stupid sake made her a little more giggly than she’d like. A lot more giggly.

“You’re ruthless, Akira,” Kakashi said, though it didn’t sound at all like an insult. But he didn't let her lean into him, maybe he thought she was wobbling on her feet because he put more pressure on her shoulder to hold her steady. 

She grinned, taking his comment as a compliment, “I need to keep you on your toes.” 

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because you like it.” She had tried for a deadpan but she ended up giggling again. Okay, it was time to leave now, she told herself. No more making herself look silly in front of Kakashi. If she couldn’t even deliver a good line, she needed to be at home in bed.

Kakashi laughed softly, “Are you trying to figure me out, Akira?” 

“Ah, so you finally noticed.” She smiled up at him. The gentle hand on her shoulder was no longer holding her up and she managed to get closer to him. Under the smell of sake on her clothes, she could smell the foresty scent that Kakashi was wearing. 

Kakashi looked down at her, an almost confused look in his eye. 

They stayed close for a minute before the sound of a small group of people leaving a restaurant across the street startled them out of whatever staring contest they’d been engaging in. Akira glanced across the street, made eye contact with Ino’s mother, and sighed. The town gossip. By this time tomorrow, it would be all over town that Akira and Kakashi had been seen, late at night, standing _ far _ too close to each other to be discussing anything proper. 

“I suppose it wouldn't be a night of drinking and gossip if you didn’t give people something new to gossip about.” Kakashi laughed and stepped away.

A jolt raced through her at the sound of his laugh and she joined in. “It’s my way of paying it forward. Good night, Kakashi-senpai,” she teased. 

Kakashi laughed again and shook his head. “Good night, Akira.” He waved and took off. 

  
  


Akira sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out her growing headache. She rolled her neck and took a bracing breath before returning her attention to the scroll in front of her. Kai sat in the center of a complex diagram, his tail raised in a defensive posture as a faint green glow surrounded him. The black scorpion, roughly the size of Akira’s hand, had been her first summoning contract. Though she had since signed additional contracts with others of his clan, he was still her favorite. Normally, she’d assume the feeling was mutual but with the tests she’d been putting him through, she’d be lucky if he didn’t sting her by the end of the day. 

“How are you doing?” Akira asked.

“Fine,” Kai responded, his deep voice hinting at the strain he was going through but was far too proud to admit. “A bit tingly.”

“More or less tingly than last time?” 

“About the same; maybe a little less.”

Akira sighed and waved a hand over the scroll. The glow ceased and the scorpion scuttled off the scroll.

“I really thought I had it this time,” she said, studying the diagram for a clue about what she was missing.

“I think you’re getting closer, Akira-san,” Kai said.

A knock at the door interrupts Akira’s response. “It’s open,” she said, not bothering to look toward the noise. “What if we added more venom?” She reached for a small vial of milky liquid.

“What are you doing?”

Akira paused and finally glanced toward the door to find her students standing there with varying looks of annoyance on their faces. 

“What are you three doing here?” She asked, ignoring Kiyoko’s question.

“We’ve been waiting for you forever,” Kiyoko responded, crossing her arms and glaring at Akira with her bright green eyes.

“Have you? What time is it?”

“It’s a quarter to eleven,” Masaru said.

Akira swore and turned to Kai who was now perched on a pile of discarded scrolls and basking in the sunlight coming in from the window. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“We were doing good work.” If a scorpion could shrug, Kai would have done so.

“What are you working on?” Masaru asked, creeping closer to Akira’s make-shift lab while keeping a wary eye on the scorpion.

“I’m reverse engineering a venom,” Akira answered before sighing and rolling up the scroll before Masaru could get a good look at it. “Or at least I’m trying to.”

“Why?” Kiyoko asked. She had stayed by the door, half-hidden behind Shiori and casting nervous glances at Kai. 

“Because knowledge is power,” Akira responded dryly. “Kai,” she said, returning her attention to the scorpion. “Would you please go get Ai?”

“She refuses to come back until you apologize,” Kai responded.

“I _ did _ apologize.”

“She doesn’t think you were sincere.”

“This isn’t an idle request, Kai. Tell her to stop being a child and get down here,” Akira sad, her patience with Kai’s sibling long since spent.

“You know I can’t force her.”

“And you know I need her venom. So either get her or get it, I don’t care which.”

Akira threw her hands up at the sound of someone else knocking at her door. With a frustrated glance at Kai she moved past her students and threw open the door to reveal Kotetsu and Izumo. 

“Uh, hey, Akira-chan,” Kotetsu said, backing up slightly in the face of Akira’s annoyance. “The Hokage asked to see you.”

Akira sighed. “Of course he did, fine.” She shut the door of the pair and turned back to Kai. “You, talk to your sister,” she said before turning her attention to her students. “You three, let’s go.”

“We’re coming with you to see the Hokage?” Masaru asked, taking one last look at Akira’s lab.

“They didn’t say not to bring you.”

“Not like you gave them much of a chance,” Kiyoko muttered.

Akira smirked and opened the door, gesturing for the genin to go before her. “First rule of doing what you want, Kiyoko. Don’t give anyone the chance to tell you not to.”

“That honestly explains a lot about you,” Masaru said under his breath.

“What was that?” Akira asked him.

“Is that why you’re always late?” Masaru asked, changing the subject. “Because you’re working on things like that?” He gestured vaguely back toward her apartment.

“I’m not always late,” Akira responded.

“You’ve been late 90% of the time,” he said.

She paused and studied the trio. “Have I really?”

All three nodded and she grimaced before she started walking again. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s not a reflection of my opinion of you three, you know. I just need to get this figured out.”

“Why is it so urgent?” Kiyoko asked.

“Because most battles are lost or won before you ever meet your enemy on the field.”

“That’s not really an answer.”

“But it is good advice, so remember it,” Akira responded with a smile as she quickened her pace.

The Hokage was sitting behind his desk reading something in front of him when Akira entered his office without knocking.

“Ah, Akira,” he said, smiling at her and then her students. If he was annoyed by her abrupt entrance, he didn’t show it. “I see you brought your team. How has training been going?”

“They’re a rather talented bunch,” Akira answered, ruffling Masaru’s dark hair.

He glared at her and quickly moved out of reach but he couldn’t quite manage to keep a small, proud smile off his face.

“That’s good to hear,” the Hokage chuckled.

“Kotetsu said you needed something?”

The Hokage sighed and gestured to what he was reading. “I’ve just received a rather interesting request from Sunagakure,” he said. “You are aware of what we are currently trying to organize?” He asked, glancing at the genin briefly before turning his attention back to Akira. 

“I am,” Akira answered with a nod.

“Sunagakure is hoping for a more concrete sign of our intentions. They have suggested an information exchange; some intelligence on other nations and shinobi. We give them some of ours, they give us some of theirs.”

“Seems like a standard step,” Akira said, crossing her arms. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” the Hokage said slowly. “Just a request.”

Akira arched an eyebrow but didn’t respond; the Hokage would continue on his own time.

“They’ve requested that you meet them in the Land of Rivers for the exchange.” 

“They asked for me by name?” Akira asked after a pause. She couldn’t imagine why anyone in Suna would want her personally.

The Hokage nodded. “I wasn’t aware you had friends in Sunagakure.”

“I don’t.”

“Do you have any enemies there?”

Akira laughed shortly. “Probably,” she said with a shrug. “But none that I could name specifically.” 

“Hmmm,” the Hokage looked back at the paper with a frown. “Do you think someone is setting a trap for you?”

Akira stepped around the Hokage’s desk so she could read over his shoulder. The message looked fairly straight-forward. They wanted a meeting in the Land of Rivers with Hayashi Akira to exchange information. They didn’t say why, and she didn’t recognize the handwriting. “No,” she said finally.

“Are you sure?”

“No,” she repeated with a smile. “But anyone I can think of that would want to leave a trap for me would do it better.”

The Hokage nodded. “Very well, will you accept this mission?”

“We’re going too, right?” Kiyoko cut in before Akira could respond.

Akira exchanged a look with the Hokage before pointing to the door. “You three wait outside.”

Once the door was firmly shut behind them, Akira turned to the Hokage with a frown. “I don’t know that they’re ready for a mission like this,” she said before the Hokage could get a word in. 

“It should be a straight forward exchange,” the Hokage said. “The area between here and the meeting point in the Land of Rivers is relatively safe, and I believe the Kazekage is earnest in his desire to form an alliance with us. It isn’t a bad first mission for a team like yours.”

Akira frowned and crossed her arms, looking down at the scroll. 

“I had hoped you would train your students to specialize in infiltration and espionage,” the Hokage said. “This could be a good test of their inherent abilities to read foreign shinobi.”

Akira ran her fingers through her hair and tugged on the ends in frustration. “You’re right,” she said finally, striding toward the door.

She opened the door and Kiyoko tumbled inside; she’d clearly just had her ear pressed against the wood. Masaru, at least, had the grace to look embarrassed as Shiori helped Kiyoko to her feet. 

“You can come on this mission,” Akira said, holding up a hand to stop Kiyoko’s cheering before it started. “But there are conditions. First, you will do _ everything _ I say, without hesitation.”

The three genin nodded.

“If I tell you to wait in a certain spot?”

“We won’t move an inch,” Kiyoko said.

“Unless we’re attacked,” Masaru added.

Akira nodded. “And if I tell you to go back to Konoha?”

“We go back, no arguments,” Kiyoko said, already grinning. 

Akira nodded again. “Second condition: no heroics. You’re coming along to observe. If we’re attacked, you’re to defend yourselves, that’s it.”

The trio glanced at each other before nodding again.

Akira sighed and glanced back at the Hokage. “Fine, go home for now, we’ll leave tomorrow at sunrise.”

Kiyoko grinned and pounced on Akira, hugging her tightly. “Thank you, sensei! We won’t let you down.”

“This isn’t going to be a pleasure trip,” Akira said, prying the girl’s arms from around her waist. 

“I know, I’m just excited to go on a real mission!” Kiyoko said, bouncing on the spot.

Akira smiled, a mixture of exasperation, nostalgia, and sadness swirling around her mind. She could remember that level of naive enthusiasm, barely.

“Go on,” she said, shooing them out of the office. “The Hokage and I have more to discuss.” 


	7. First Mission!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fujita Masaru POV

Masaru walked through the halls of the hospital, the path to his mother’s office so familiar that he could have walked it in his sleep. His mother was one of the most accomplished medical ninja in the village; equally comfortable in the hospital and on the battlefield. His sister, Emi, was on her way to living up to their mother’s reputation as well. Masaru bit back a sigh and stuffed his hands into his pockets. It was a lot to live up to.

He paused outside his mother’s office; at the sound of voices within he almost turned around to wait in the cafeteria until he recognized Akira-sensei’s voice. 

“You have an impressive son, Moriko-san,” Akira-sensei said and Masaru felt a glow of pride and embarrassment. “I’m enjoying teaching him.”

Masaru glanced up and down the hall, torn between wanting to eavesdrop and worried about getting caught. Akira-sensei probably wouldn’t mind but his mother would not be impressed.

“Forgive me if I’m prying,” Akira-sensei continued and Masaru threw caution to the wind. Kiyoko must be having a bad influence on him because he crouched behind the wall and listened with interest. “But Masaru has the temperament and skills to become an excellent field medic; I had hoped to begin that training with him, but he seems hesitant.”

“Yes,” his mother responded and Masaru could just hear her sigh. “Masaru is determined to cut his own path, separate from mine.” She paused and sighed again. “He still blames me for not being able to save his father.” She said in her usual cold, professional voice. “Realizing the limitations of medical ninjutsu in such a personal way was difficult for him and he has been adamantly opposed to ‘wasting his time’ with it since.”

Masaru clenched his hands into fists, hearing his mother just come out and say it like that - in that cool, professional tone she always seemed to use - grated at him. He didn’t  _ blame _ her for not saving dad, he blamed her for making him think that she could. How long had she and Emi talked about how amazing medical ninjutsu was? How it saved lives and brought ninja home to their families? But what good was it if it couldn’t bring Dad home?

“I see,” Akira-sensei said. “I’ll set that training aside for now.”

Masaru clenched his teeth at the sound of disappointment in Akira-sensei’s voice. How many people were going to expect him to want to be a medical-nin just because his mother and sister were? Why didn’t anyone think he’d want to be a guard like his father? Why didn’t anyone seem willing to let him just go his own way?

“I think that would be for the best,” Moriko said. “It is my hope that someday Masaru will recognize both the value of medical ninjutsu and his potential to excel in the field, but my son is nothing but stubborn and he’s going to have to realize those things in his own time.” 

“He and I have that in common,” Akira-sensei said with a laugh. “I have no doubt he’ll excel at whatever he chooses, and I’ll do what I can to help.”

“I’m glad you’re his sensei,” Moriko said. “And I appreciate you came to see me to discuss his progress.”

“That wasn’t the only reason for my visit,” Akira-sensei said. “I’ll be taking him for his first mission outside Konoha tomorrow.”

“I see.”

“It should be a simple mission, we’ll only be gone a few days.”

“But any mission away from the village poses increased risks,” Moriko said.

Akira-sensei didn’t respond and Masaru frowned at the worry he could hear in her voice.

“I trust you,” Moriko continued. “I know that you will do whatever you have to in order to keep my son, and his teammates, safe.”

There was another pause and Masaru had to strain his ears to hear Akira-sensei’s soft “Thank you.”

“Now, get out of here,” Moriko said and Masaru could hear the warmth in her voice. He didn’t realize that his mother knew Akira-sensei in any significant way but it sounded like she was fond of her. “I know how you feel about hospitals.”

Akira laughed. “Can you blame me? You work in the worst conditions.”

“Go,” Moriko laughed. “And stay safe.”

Masaru scrambled away from the door and managed to make it part of the way down the hallway before Akira-sensei left the office. 

Masaru looked up, feigning surprise at her appearance. “What are you doing here?”

Akira-sensei smirked and shrugged. “Gossiping about you, of course.”

“Great,” Masaru muttered. 

Akira-sensei laughed and ruffled his hair. 

“Stop,” he said, brushing away her hand.

“You’ve got a good mom, you know,” Akira-sensei said. “And you’re a good son.”

“Sure,” Masaru said, not entirely sure how to respond to her comment.

Akira-sensei put a hand into a pocket of her long, black jacket and Masaru frowned.

“Hey,” he said. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. That’s an Interrogation Force jacket, isn’t it?”

Akira-sensei nodded. “I was assigned there for a while.”

“But you’re not now.”

“Not in any official capacity; I still help out Ibiki, from time to time,” she answered with a shrug.

Masaru shuddered at the thought of the Interrogation Force’s commanding officer.

“Don’t look so queasy,” Akira-sensei said. “He’s not half as scary as he wants people to think.”

“He’s scary enough,” Masaru muttered. If even a fraction of the stories his dad had told him about Morino Ibiki were true, Masaru did  _ not _ want to get on that man’s bad side.

“I’ll protect you,” Akira-sensei said with a wink. “Now, stop worrying about Ibiki and relax for the night. I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.”

“Just don’t be late this time,” Masaru called after her as she started off down the hall.

Akira-sensei laughed and waved back at him.

  
  


Masaru yawned as he shuffled toward the village gates; his mother and sister had woken him up early to make sure that he had a filling breakfast before he left on his mission. Thankfully, his mother had done the cooking. Emi was a threat to herself and others in the kitchen. It had been nice to eat all together for once, with their busy schedules at the hospital, and Akira-sensei keeping Masaru so busy with training, it was becoming increasingly unusual for the three of them to be home at the same time. Masaru had even endured Emi’s steady stream of advice about how to conduct himself during the mission with relative grace, going so far as to agree to carry an extra first-aid kit just to make her happy. 

A cool gust of wind made Masaru shiver and he pulled up the hood on his sweatshirt as he reached the gates and saw Kiyoko and Shiori waiting for him. Kiyoko had a light pink jacket over her usual white tunic top but she was still huddled close to Shiori and hunched down so she was closer to her friend’s height. Shiori was in the same dark grey dress as always and looked unconcerned with the cold.

“Good morning,” Kiyoko chirped as Masaru reached them and Shiori grimaced.

“She’s a morning person,” Shiori said. “It’s the worst.”

Kiyoko grinned and huddled closer to Shiori. “I’m an all the time person.”

Masaru laughed. “You’re right,” he said to Shiori. “The absolute worst.”

Kiyoko stuck her tongue out at both of them.

Masaru glanced around, unsurprised not see Akira-sensei there. “Hey, Kiyoko,” he said slowly, not sure if he really wanted to bring up the conversation he overheard between his mother and Akira-sensei. “Did Akira-sensei talk to your parents yesterday?”

“Yeah,” Kiyoko said. “She talked to dad at work about the mission, apparently. You should’ve heard dad gush about her over dinner: ‘She’s such a dedicated teacher’,” Kiyoko said, imitating her father’s deep voice. “‘It’s so good to know that she’s going to be looking out for you.’ Blah, blah, blah. Ayane threatened to tell mom he had a crush.” Kiyoko rolled her eyes. “He’d be less impressed if he knew how often she was late,” she added loudly, clearly hoping that Akira-sensei was close enough to hear her complaining.

“I wonder what she’s doing that makes her late all the time,” Masaru said. “It can’t always be that poison stuff, right?”

A diabolical grin spread across Kiyoko’s face and she pulled Masaru and Shiori in closer to her. “I think the better question is  _ who _ she’s doing.”

“What?” Masaru said before he could contain himself.

Kiyoko burst into a fit of giggles. “We’ll explain it when you’re older.”

‘That’s not-” Masaru sputtered. “I mean, I  _ get _ it - it’s just - I -”

“What do you know?” Shiori asked, cutting off Masaru’s fumbling and narrowing her eyes at Kiyoko.

“Well,” Kiyoko said, drawing out the word. “Since you asked. I heard that Akira-sensei and Kakashi-sensei were seen  _ hanging out _ very late in the evening.” The emphasis she placed on ‘hanging out’ left little doubt as to what Kiyoko thought was going on between the two jounin. 

“Kakashi-sensei and Akira-sensei?” Shiori repeated thoughtfully. 

“Who did you even hear that from?” Masaru asked.

“I heard it from Hinata,” she answered. “Who heard it from Kiba, who heard it from Ino, who heard it from her mom who apparently saw them together.”

“That’s quite the train,” Shiori muttered.

“Well yeah,” Kiyoko shrugged. “But they’d be a cute couple, right?”

“Who would be a cute couple?” Akira-sensei asked as she appeared beside them. She wore her usual black pants and green tank-top with fishnet underneath. Her Interrogation Force jacket was unbuttoned, apparently the morning chill didn’t bother her.

Kiyoko squeaked and jumped into Shiori. “First you’re late, then you try to give me a heart attack? What’s the big idea?”

“You’re even hyper at dawn, huh?” Akira-sensei said. “And I’m late because I got you a treat but if you don’t want it,” Akira-sensei let her voice trail off as she waved a small paper bag at the genin.

Kiyoko sniffed the air and grinned. “Are those Takara-san’s anpan?” She asked.

“Mm-hm,” Akira-sensei said, handing Kiyoko the bag.

“You can be late whenever, I’ll never complain again,” Kiyoko said, grabbing a sweet bun from the bag and handing it to Shiori. 

Masaru shook his head when she offered him one. “You have it if you’re so excited. I already ate.”

Kiyoko’s eyes widened and she clutched the bag to her chest. “I love you,” she whispered.

Masaru took a step back and watched with a mixture of horror and fascination as Kiyoko devoured one of the buns in a single bite.

“On that note,” Akira-sensei said with a laugh. “Let’s get going. We’re going to be moving fast, so when you feel like complaining just remember that you asked to come along. ”

Akira-sensei hadn’t been lying. They traveled quickly through the morning, stopping only briefly around noon for a quick lunch before continuing on. They headed almost directly south-west through the Land of Fire, barely getting a chance to enjoy the scenery before it flashed by. Every once in a while, Akira-sensei would point something out, give a bit of history or survival knowledge, but for the most part, they traveled in silence. 

By sunset, Masaru was exhausted and more than a little relieved when Akira-sensei called for them to stop near a small cluster of trees. With sluggish movements, the three genin tried to help her set up camp buy when Kiyoko accidentally dropped her pack on Masaru’s head, Akira-sensei ordered them to sit under a tree while she finished.

“Sorry,” Kiyoko muttered to Masaru. She was sitting between him and Shiori and leaning her head against Shiori’s shoulder. “About your head.”

“It’s fine,” Masaru said; it would have been funny if he weren’t too tired to laugh.

“I think she’s trying to torture us,” Kiyoko continued, watching Akira start a small fire. “So we never ask to go on a mission again.”

“We have to go on missions again,” Shiori pointed out. 

“Nooo,” Kiyoko moaned quietly; even she didn’t seem to have any energy left.

“Stop whining,” Akira-sesnsei said, though there was little reprimand in her tone. “Come get something to eat.”

The three genin looked at her pathetically, each trying to decide if it was worth the effort to go to the fire just for a few rations.

Akira-sensei laughed and took another paper bag out of her pack. 

Kiyoko perked up a bit. “What’s that?”

“Daifuku,” Akira said. “And I’m more than happy to keep it all to myself-”

Kiyoko was there in a flash, taking both the dinner and mochi dessert offered to her. 

Masaru and Shiori followed more slowly.

“Come on, the sooner you eat the sooner you can get to sleep,” Akira-sensei said. “It’s going to be another early morning tomorrow.”

Masaru awoke with a start, his heart thudding in his chest. It took him a moment to remember where he was and why there were stars overhead instead of his bedroom ceiling. He glanced to his side and saw Kiyoko and Shiori sleeping peacefully. Kiyoko had snuggled closer to Shiori in the night and had apparently stolen half of the other girl’s blanket. Masaru frowned when he didn’t see Akira-sensei and sat up, squinting in the darkness as he tried to find her.

“Look up,” a voice whispered from above and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Akira-sensei was sitting in the branches above, looking out over the landscape. 

Masaru silently climbed up to the branch next to her. The night was calm, only the smallest breeze rustled the leaves and the ends of Akira-sensei’s long black coat.

“What are you so worried about?” He asked her after a moment of hesitation.

“Do I seem worried?” She asked.

“Not at this exact moment; but you seemed worried yesterday.”

“A sensei always worries about her students, especially on their first few missions.”

“Do you really think this will be a dangerous assignment?”

Masaru could just make out Akira-sensei’s shrug in the darkness. “Every mission has the potential to go wrong. The more risky the mission starts, the worse it could end. This one’s pretty straight-forward, but that doesn’t always mean much.”

“Do you think we’re ready?”

Akira-sensei glanced at him as if measuring whether she should answer him. Finally, she sighed. “I’m fairly certain what I’m about to tell you goes against every rule of being a sensei, but the fact is, you’re my first genin team and I don’t have a lot of references to go on. When I was a genin, things were different. We were in the middle of the Third Shinobi War. Now, we’re basically at peace. The word has changed but there’s still a need for shinobi.” She sighed and looked away from Masaru. “When I was your age, it seemed right that I was going on missions, protecting my friends and my village. Now, when I look at the three of you, I see children. Children I’m somehow supposed to teach and protect. So, do I think you’re ready? I think it’s more important if  _ you _ think you’re ready; because I’m always going to want to shield you.”

Masaru frowned, unsure of how to respond. He appreciated Akira-sensei’s honesty, and he really appreciated that she wanted to shield them, but he was surprised that she’d admitted any of it.

“Do all sensei feel that way?” He asked finally.

Akira-sensei chuckled and shrugged. “To varying degrees. I’ve always had a problem becoming too protective of things that are ‘mine’.” If you ever meet my brother, he’d be happy to tell you all about it.”

“Oh, we’re ‘yours’ now?” Masaru asked.

“Absolutely,” Akira-sensei said with a grin, leaning over and ruffling his hair. “Whether you like it or not,” she added as Masaru pushed her arm away with a scowl. “Now try to get some sleep, we’ll be heading out again in a few hours.” 

Masaru hopped down from the tree, trying to straighten his hair as he went. He wasn’t particularly fond of Akira-sensei’s penchant for messing with his hair, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face at the thought that she considered them ‘hers’.

  
  


Akira-sensei woke them just after sunrise and they quickly packed up the camp. She led them at a slightly slower pace than she had yesterday and Masaru was to question why; though he suspected it was because she didn’t want them to arrive at the rendezvous completely wiped out.

“Hey, sensei,” Kiyoko said as they passed a small village. “Have you ever been to the Land of Rivers before?”

Akira-sensei nodded. “A few times; not for a while, though.”

“Is it nice?”

“Parts of it. Life is often harder in the smaller countries. The Land of Rivers is fortunate enough to have a Hidden Village - the Village Hidden in Valleys - but it still isn’t a wealthy country.” She paused and Masaru caught a frown on her face for a moment. “It was the smaller countries that suffered most during the last War. The Land of Rivers still hasn’t recovered completely.”

“But that was almost 18 years ago,” Masaru said.

“War is costly,” Akira-sensei responded. “And that price is paid in many ways.”

Masaru glanced at Kiyoko and Shiori; he was thinking of the reports they’d read of her missions during the war, and of her team lost afterward. By the looks on their faces, he could tell they were as well.

“Now, pay attention,” Akira-sensei said. “We’re going to be at the rendezvous point soon and I want to go over the protocol.” She stopped and motioned for the genin to gather around her. “This is a basic information exchange mission,” she continued, handing each of them a sealed scroll. “We all seem to have identical scrolls but only one of them actually has the information on it. Even I don’t know which is the real scroll. When we rendezvous with the shinobi from Sunagakure, they’ll also have a real scroll and several decoys. We’ll exchange all the scrolls and be on our way. It will be for the Hokage to open the scrolls when we return to Konoha.”

“But, what if they trick us and all their scrolls are decoys?” Kiyoko asked. “We won’t find out until they’re long gone.” 

“Part of the reason we’re doing this is a show of mutual trust. If they trick us, then we know their offer of an alliance isn’t sincere. Besides, if they intend to betray us, they’ll probably attack before we have a chance to return to Konoha and reveal their trick. If I thought that was the case, you three wouldn’t be here.”

“Right,” Kiyoko said with a sheepish smile.

“Regardless, I need you three to be on high alert,” Akira-sensei continued. “Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouths shut.” She looked pointedly at Kiyoko and the blonde rolled her eyes but nodded.

“Any questions?”

Masaru and the others shook their heads and Akira nodded. “Then let’s go.”

In the distance, Masaru spotted a group of three people standing next to a large rock that was shaped vaguely like a bird in flight. He felt his heart rate increase as the sun glinted off their headbands; he couldn’t quite make out the symbol on them but he was sure they were the ones they were meeting. 

Akira-sensei slowed her walk as she neared the waiting shinobi and Masaru fell into step a few paces behind her with Kiyoko and Shiori. 

A tall woman with coppery skin and reddish-brown hair stepped forward as Akira-sensei approached. A long scar crossed her face and Masaru could tell she wasn’t a person to be messed with. The two men standing behind her - her teammates, Masaru assumed - looked enough alike to be related. Both had lightly tanned skin and dark green hair; one has his cut short, the other’s is long and tied back from his face.

Akira-sensei stopped a few paces from the woman and inclined her head respectfully. “I hope we didn’t keep you waiting long,” she said.

“Just long enough to catch our breath,” the woman responded. “Travelling with children does tend to slow one down,” she added, glancing back at Masaru, Kiyoko, and Shiori.

Akira-sensei laughed, though Masaru thought it lacked its usual warmth. “Less than you might think,” she said.

The woman arched an eyebrow but didn’t respond.

“Let’s get this over with,” the short-haired man said, coming to stand next to the woman. 

“Patience, Ichiro,” she responded. “Maybe our friend from Konoha would like to relax a bit.”

Ichiro scoffed and folded his arms.

“Forgive him,” the woman said. “He can be so rude.”

Akira-sensei shrugged and smirked. “Children these days.”

Ichiro - who looked to be the same age as Akira-sensei, if not a bit older - glared but both his teammates laughed and he made a disgusted noise before looking away.

“But, we may as well get this over with,” Akira-sensei said, motioning for Masaru, Kiyoko, and Shiori to come closer. 

“As you like,” the woman said. Her third teammate came to join her and the three of them produced sealed scrolls from their packs. 

Masaru and his team did the same, stepping up beside Akira-sensei to hand them over. 

Masaru gasped as Akira-sensei grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the side a moment before a handful of kunai struck the ground where he’d been standing. Kiyoko, safely on the other side of Akira-sensei with Shiori, grabbed Shiori’s arm in surprise.

“What the-” the kunoichi from Sunagakure swore and jumped away from Masaru and his team.

Another attack came from behind and Akira-sensei moved quickly, drawing the short sword from its sheath on her back and deflecting the kunai before the could reach Masaru, Kiyoko, or Shiori. Akira-sensei was fast. Way faster than even Kiyoko.

In front of Masaru, the Sunagakure ninja had also been attacked; kunai littered the ground before them and he just had the time to glimpse the explosive tags tied to them before a wall of earth rose between him and the kunai. 

He felt the concussion of the explosion seconds before the sound reached him. To his left, Kiyoko whimpered and he saw her clutching to Shiori’s arm. He looked back and saw Akira-sensei kneeling with her hands pressed to the ground.

“You three okay?” She asked.

Masaru and Shiori nodded as Kiyoko squeaked out a small, “Yes.”

“Good,” Akira-sensei said. “Use the wall as a shield. Don’t engage if you can help it.”

She waited for the three of them to acknowledge her order before she stood and cautiously looked around. 


	8. Watch Out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> our first split POV chapter, we'll be seeing Kiyoko and Akira narrate this one

####  ***Kiyoko***

Kiyoko snuck her head around the side of the wall and bit back a gasp, followed by a wave of nausea. The short-haired man from Sunagakure had been blown almost in half by the explosion and his teammates had been thrown a good distance away. Kiyoko couldn’t help but watch as they struggled to their feet, the woman swearing and barely restraining the man from running toward the body of his teammate. She could understand the man’s feelings. If it had been her teammate, nothing would keep her back.

“What the hell is this?” The Sunagakure lady yelled to Akira-sensei.

“You tell me!” Akira-sensei yelled back. She was holding her sword to the side and carefully surveying the surroundings. “You're the ones who asked specifically for me.”

“What?!”

“In your message to the Hokage,” Akira-sensei said. “You asked for me by name but I have no idea who you are. Why me?”

“I wrote a message asking for someone to come but I certainly didn't ask for you! Who the hell are you?”

Akira-sensei's face was twisted in confusion. A confusion that Kiyoko felt doubled. If Akira-sensei didn’t know what was happening, then things were really bad. 

A rain of needles started falling from the sky. Still clutching Shiori, Kiyoko jumped away from the wall, eager to be out of the range of those needles. Thankfully Akira-sensei and Masaru followed right behind them. Kiyoko jumped into some tall grass, pulling Shiori down with her. 

The dark shape of a person stood halfway between Kiyoko’s team and the two remaining sand ninja. The man was wearing black clothing and a mask similar to those worn by ANBU but Kiyoko couldn’t see any indication of what village he's loyal to.

“Hmm,” the man tapped his mask, looking between the two groups. “I was hoping for more of a challenge, but a few women and a handful of brats are hardly worth my time. What about you,” he said, pointing to the long-haired man from Suna. “Are you up for a fight?” 

A fight? Kiyoko wanted to scream in terror. He was really trying to kill them. This wasn’t just a pretend fight at school or Akira’s mad drilling. This was real.

The only response to the man’s offer was a barrage of kunai and shuriken. The man in black dodged the incoming weapons; the woman from Suna raced forward, making hand signs as she moved.

Shiori pulled out a kunai and from the look on her face, Kiyoko could tell that Shiori was ready for action. Well, Kiyoko was afraid she wasn’t. This was horrible, the smell of blood, the fear, everything was worse than she could have imagined. 

“Stay back,” Akira-sensei said, eyeing Shiori. 

“But-” Shiori said, surprised at the order.

“I mean it!” She hissed before running forward just as the woman from Suna started spitting wind-bullets at the enemy.

Shiori sighed and did as she was told and hung back. Kiyoko sighed in relief and kept close to Shiori and Masaru. She bit her lip as they watched Akira-sensei move forward to attack. 

Akira-sensei ducked and attacked, moved forward and back in and out; every time she moved forward the bad guy got another cut until he was covered in them. The attacker kicked again and this time a burst of wind followed the path of his foot, pushing away both the Suna ninja's attack and Akira-sensei.

Akira-sensei skid back on the ground but quickly regained her footing as the man from Suna engaged the enemy. 

They scuffled briefly but the man from Suna must have been injured in the explosion because he stumbled, his hand going to his side and coming away with blood even though Kiyoko didn't see the man in black cut him. 

The enemy lashed out, taking advantage of the moment where he was unguarded. The bad guy sent the man from Suna flying toward the three genin. Kiyoko jumped back but Shiori and Masaru didn’t move so quickly. They caught the man and got knocked back with him, holding him on the ground. 

He coughed up a bit of blood and Kiyoko’s heart started pounding again. 

“Thank you.” He looked up at Shiori with a faraway look, like he couldn’t even see her.

Kiyoko was focused on him when she heard Akira-sensei yell her name seconds before the ground began to tremble beneath Kiyoko’s feet. 

Kiyoko looked up in time to see the man in black with his hands pressed against the earth and a wide crack spreading toward her and the group. Akira-sensei was sprinting toward them but Kiyoko could tell she'd be too late to help. With a gasp, she ran forward for her friends. It isn't possible. How can everything go so wrong so quickly? If she could just reach them before they’re gone... but even with her speed, she's too slow. Shiori looked up at Kiyoko in alarm, her arm outstretched before she and Masaru vanished into the earth.

Kiyoko heard someone scream as the earth closed up around Masaru and Shiori, closing them up underground. Kiyoko looked in horror at the ground where there was barely a trace of the opening, the terror she’d felt before now screaming in her bones.

Akira-sensei was there and before Kiyoko could process what was happening, she was being pulled back. Akira-sensei's arms were wrapped tight around her, holding her close and away from the scar in the earth. 

“No!” Kiyoko yelled at her, fighting against her sensei. “We can still save them!”

“We will, Kiyoko,” Akira-sensei said, her voice urgent but stern. “We will save them. But first, we have to save ourselves.”

Kiyoko looked up, trying to catch Akira-sensei's eye but Akira-sensei was looking away, toward where the masked man was exchanging blows with the woman from Sunagakure.

“Listen to me, Kiyoko,” Akira-sensei said, her eyes trained on the fight. “No matter what happens to your comrades, you can't let your guard down.” She glanced at Kiyoko for a moment.“You can't help them if you get yourself killed. Understand?”

Kiyoko bit her lip and nodded. With a sigh of relief, Akira-sensei released her. 

“Good, now I'm going to go help our friend from Suna,” Akira-sensei said. “I need you to keep a lookout, make sure no one else is around. Can you do that?”

Kiyoko nodded again, quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Count on me!” 

Akira-sensei smiled and put a hand on Kiyoko's shoulder before running toward the masked man. 

While Akira-sensei had been worrying over Kiyoko, the woman from Sunagakure had taken quite a beating. Kiyoko felt a kernel of shame find its way into her stomach, lodging somewhere between the fear and sorrow for her teammates. She wasn't ready for this. All her bravado in front of the other teams, all her begging to come along on this mission. It had been a lie, a mistake. She didn't belong here. She was just a burden and now Shiori and Masaru might be paying that price. 

Kiyoko forced herself to scan the surroundings; if she could do nothing else, at least she could make sure no one got the change to sneak up on Akira-sensei.

* * *

####  ***Akira***

Akira forced herself to be calm; to find that perfect state of stillness that had kept her alive on so many missions, through so many battles. There was no time for fear, or anger, or regrets. Not now.

The masked-man forced the woman from Suna back with a concentrated gust of wind but Akira was ready for it and jumped above the attack. She spun in the air, her chakra edging the blade of her sword as she swung it toward the man. 

He dodged, moving away just in time and aiming a kick at Akira as she landed. She moved low, the momentum of the man's kick ruffled her hair as it passed over her. Akira let herself sink into the moment; the rhythmic exchange of two skilled shinobi trading blows. It was a dance she'd perfected through years of strife.

A quick misdirection gave Akira the opportunity she'd been looking for and she aimed her next blow high, the edge of her sword just catching the man's mask and tearing it from his face. He growled and jumped at her, the sudden move caught her by surprise and the pair tumbled to the ground. Her sword was knocked away and hands grabbed her neck. The face of the enemy, now revealed, was all she could see. Dark eyes, rimmed with thick lashes; a wide mouth pulled into a snarl; pale skin. She doesn't know this man. As he’s choking her she has a moment to be surprised. He’d set this trap for her, she’d assumed it would be an old foe but this stranger was something unexpected. And in her line of work, the unexpected was often the deadliest.

* * *

####  ***Kiyoko***

It's all Kiyoko could do to hold herself back when Akira-sensei was tackled to the ground. She looked around, trying to keep her eyes on the surroundings and seeing if the woman from Suna had gotten up yet. Sadly, she’d been motionless on the ground since the enemy's last attack had sent her flying into the bird-shaped rock. Kiyoko danced back and forth on the balls of her feet; torn between wanting to follow her sensei's orders and wanting to keep her sensei alive.

A dark blur appeared in the corner of her eye and Kiyoko reacted without thinking. She ducked; years of training at the Academy helped her move even though her mind was still struggling to keep up. A foot seemed to appear out of nowhere, followed by a leg then an entire shinobi, dressed in black and wearing a mask just like the man that Akira-sensei was grappling with. Kiyoko squeaked and held up her arms, barely blocking the kick before it had a chance to break her nose. 

She stumbled back, her breath coming in short gasps as she squared off with her first-ever true opponent. 

“A new enemy on the field!” She shouted for Akira-sensei, hoping that her teacher wasn’t still getting the life strangled out of her and could understand. 

Kiyoko rolled away as the man aimed another kick at her side. She was outmatched, there's no doubt about that. But there was no help coming for her and she’d have to figure it out for herself. He attacked again and she barely managed to dodge. 

Knowing she was barely dodging his attacks pissed her off. Where is all that speed she was known for? Did it really amount to this little? She ran to the side and threw a kunai at her attacker in a desperate attempt to slow him. He dodged it easily but it gave Kiyoko the time she needed to round the earthen wall that Akira-sensei had created when the battle first began.

She pressed herself against the packed earth, trying to catch her breath and come up with a plan of attack. Or escape. Hadn’t Akira-sensei told them to run away when it was time? But she couldn’t do that. Running away when her friends and sensei needed her? No way. 

She squeaked and scrambled away from the wall as she heard the tell-tale thud of kunai hitting the earth. The memory of the explosion from earlier sent a chill down her spine but thankfully this time, they seem to be normal kunai. The man rounded the wall and Kiyoko quickly made hand signs, screaming out a blast of wind that caught him by surprise and threw him back. 

Kiyoko smiled happily and followed up her attack with more kunai. One grazed him and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. She could and she would do this. She would hold her ground and defend her team. 

* * *

####  ***Akira* **

The hands tightened around her throat, cutting off Akira's air supply even as she struggled to regain control of the situation. Above her, the face of her enemy seemed to distort, his snear becoming a maniacal grin. 

“I expected more from you, Hayashi Akira,” he hissed through bared teeth.

Akira didn’t bother trying to respond. She wrapped her legs around the man, trying to flip them but he was simply too strong and his position too dominant. 

“How did you manage to make such powerful enemies?” The man sneered.

Her vision started to darken around the edges. If she’d had the luxury, she'd be embarrassed by how easily he had gotten her. She brought her hands up to his and tried to pry his fingers. 

He laughed, a sadistically joyful sound that Akira had heard all too often in her life. It was the sound of someone who enjoyed watching the life leave their opponent’s eyes.

“A new enemy on the field!” 

Akira could hear the panicked cry of her student and it gave her a much-needed jolt. 

‘Not today!’ Akira screamed in her mind. With a violent jerk, she broke two of the fingers on his left hand and it was just enough. His grip loosened and with a mighty kick she sent him flying back; his nails raked along her neck as he tried to hang on. 

She got to her feet, her fingers touched her neck and came away with blood. Before the man could attack again, she went for her sword; grabbing it from the ground just as a barrage of wind-bullets came shooting toward her. She dodged, and while she managed to avoid most of them, a few skimmed her left side and shoulder. She looked down at the rip in her jacket and glared at the attacker. 

“This is my favorite jacket,” she said, her voice understandably hoarse after her throat was crushed.

“Is this what it means to be a shinobi from Konoha?” The man asked. “More concerned over clothes than comrades?” He nods behind Akira. She didn’t take the bait and refused to look. But she wished she could look. She needed to get this guy dealt with so she could help her students. Thankfully she could trust Kiyoko to handle herself for now. Hopefully. 

Akira began making hand signs and suddenly another Akira appeared in a puff of smoke and started running for Kiyoko.

“A shadow clone?” The man said. “Cheating.” He made hand signs of his own and a wave of jagged spikes ripples from the earth, chasing after the clone.

The real Akira used the man's distraction to her advantage and rushed forward, her sword at the ready. He barely raised a kunai in defense and they fell into trading blows again. 

Behind them, Kiyoko screamed and that second was enough to distract Akira. The man's kunai cut deep into her left shoulder and she stabbed forward, trying to get him in the gut and failing as he took her injured arm and used it to throw her away from him. She heard something pop in her shoulder and bit back a scream.

With her left arm all but useless, Akira's options suddenly narrowed considerably. Yes, she could probably pop it back into place but her enemy wasn't going to give her the opportunity. All she could do was dodge as he launched one attack after the other, not bothering to get in close. But all the dodging was part of a plan. She was retreating, yes, but also getting closer to her student; and closer to the wounded Suna woman who was stirring. 

The woman from Suna stood on shaky legs and quickly assessed the situation. To Akira's excitement, the woman produced a kunai and threw it with precision. 

The enemy had to make a near full turn to block the kunai, leaving his side open to Akira. 

Without hesitation, Akira thrust her sword into his rib cage, sliding it cleanly through him. 

* * *

####  ***Kiyoko***

Kiyoko screamed as the man stabbed a kunai into her outstretched hand. They were fighting face to face again and she thought she’d been blocking pretty well but she’d misjudged by a moment and the kunai found a home in her hand.

The pain was intense, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. The man laughed as she screamed and twisted his blade, making her cry out again, unable to do anything else.

Just as she was feeling faint from pain and the sight of her own blood she heard Akira-sensei shouting something.

The swing of a sword came and the bad guy had to let go of his knife and jump away. 

Akira-sensei positioned herself in front of Kiyoko and Kiyoko had never been so happy to see her sensei. The bad guy held a defensive position across from them, watching his new opponent carefully. 

“Sorry it took me so long to get here, Kiyoko,” Akira-sensei said. 

Kiyoko tried to stop herself from whimpering and nodded, “It’s okay, Sensei,” she tried to say bravely, though her voice shook.

“You did good,” Akira-sensei continued. “But stay back for now, okay? I'll handle him.”

Kiyoko was relieved. She pulled her wounded hand to her chest and looked at the knife that is sticking through it. First aid class was a long time ago. Should she pull it out? Or not. There was some rule about it and Iruka-sensei’s voice was echoing in her head. But she couldn’t afford to totally drop her guard. So she left it in for now and tried to forget about it, looking up at the bad guy across from Aira-sensei.

The man chuckled evilly. “Oh, you'll handle me, will you?” He clapped his hands together and when he pulled them apart, thin strands of chakra are spread between them. He moved his hands quickly and the chakra whipped out, reaching toward Kiyoko and Akira-sensei.

Akira-sensei moved quickly, cutting through the strings of chakra with the chakra-enhanced blade of her sword but instead of severing them, the chakra stuck to the blade.

“What-” Kiyoko gasped, watching as the sword was pulled from Akira-sensei's grasp. This was not good.

With an almost elegant flick of his wrists, the masked man sent Akira-sensei's sword swinging back toward Kiyoko. It's too close to avoid, she knew that, even as she ducked. The irony of being killed by her sensei's sword on her first mission was not entirely lost on Kiyoko as she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the blow.

But the pain didn’t come. After a second, ten seconds, thirty, a minute. She hesitantly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Akira-sensei's chestnut hair falling around her face like a curtain, shielding her from the outside world. 

“Sensei,” she muttered.

“Hang in there, kid,” Akira-sensei said through gritted teeth just as Kiyoko noticed the sword sticking through her sensei's chest.

“No!” Kiyoko screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how's it going? everyone enjoying? thanks for reading!


	9. Below the Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV of Masaru and Shiori

####  *Shiori*

Shiori groaned as she slowly returned to consciousness. Absolutely everything hurt, including her pride for falling into such a trap. She opened her eyes and blinked in the darkness; it was difficult to tell if her eyes were open or not, all she could see was blackness. After a few moments of careful breathing, she determined that nothing was broken; though she was pretty sure that a few of her ribs were cracked. She bit back a whimper and gently raised herself into a sitting position, shifting a small rock off her stomach to do so. There was a crack of light from the world above, and her eyes slowly adjusted, but there wasn’t a great deal she could see.

A lump beside her started moving and her heart jumped into her throat she heard Masaru groan. 

“Masaru,” she whispered, reaching toward him. “Are you okay?”

“Define, 'okay',” he responded, his voice sounded scratchy.

“Um, are you going to die?” Shiori shrugged.

“Who knows?” Masaru sighed. “The day's still young.”

Shiori rolled her eyes, he was fine. 

“Are you okay?” He asked her.

Shiori looked back up at the thin crack of sky she could see far above them. “Could be worse,” she muttered. 

Shiori and Masaru sat in silence, listening intently for any signs from above. Shiori thought she could hear the ring of metal meeting metal but it was so faint that she might just be imagining it. Next to her, Masaru slowly climbed to his feet and looked around the sort of cave they were in. 

“It's so dark,” he muttered, picking his way carefully over broken rocks. 

“Where are you going?” Shiori asked.

“I want to see if Akira-sensei or Kiyoko are down here,” he said. “And that guy from Sunagakure was right next to us when the earth split.”

Shiori nodded, feeling bad she hadn’t thought of looking for her teammates sooner. She stood up carefully, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her side every time she moved. Something was definitely cracked inside her. Fortunately, Masaru was moving slowly so it didn’t take her long to catch up with him, even if every breath made her want to reconsider how vital breathing actually was. 

She squinted into the darkness, was that a body ahead? They couldn’t be sure who it was or if they were on their side or not. She pointed it out to Masaru silently and he drew a kunai, motioning for her to walk behind him. The two of them crept forward, carefully stepping around any loose stones that might give them away.

“It's that guy from Suna,” Masaru said.

“Which one?” Shiori asked.

“The one that was in our arms when we got hit.”

“Is he alive?” She asked.

The man groaned, answering her question before Masaru could.

Masaru took a step back, nearly bumping into Shiori.

“Relax,” she said, looked over Masaru's shoulder to study the Suna shinobi. “He's in worse shape than we are.”

Even looking at the man from a distance, she could tell he was in desperate need of medical attention.

“What should we do?” Masaru asked.

Shiori hesitated. They’d been sent here to help cement an alliance between Sunagakure and Konohagakure and this man had helped their sensei fight off an enemy but still... What if this was all some elaborate plan on Suna's part? Shiori shook her head. No, this man had lost a teammate in the attack; a relative, if her guess was correct. He wasn't an enemy.

“We help him,” she said confidently, moving past Masaru and closer to the injured man.

* * *

####  *Masaru*

The man was even worse off upon closer inspection. One of his legs had been crushed by a falling rock and there was a long cut on his forehead. Furthermore, if the wheezing sound he made every time he exhaled was any indication, he probably had some internal damage as well.

“Shit,” Masaru said quietly, kneeling down next to the man. 

“Is there anything you can do?” Shiori asked. 

Of course, she would ask that. It would be assumed he had medical knowledge. But right now, looking at the half-dead ninja in front of him, Masaru felt all the things he’d learned at the Academy, and from his mother, vanish. 

“Maybe?” He said, surprised at how desperate and upset he sounded. “I can't actually do medical ninjutsu, the chakra control required for that is way beyond me. I know basic first aid, but I don't know how much that's going to help.”

“We've got to try,” Shiori said and pulled out a first aid kit from a pouch on her belt. 

He was glad to see the kit in the faint light, his kits were in his bag and heaven knew where that was now. 

“Tell me how to help,” Shiori said, sounding annoyingly calm except for the slightest tremble in her voice.

Masaru took a deep breath and nodded. If she could be calm so could he. “Okay, we need to stop the bleeding first.” Masaru looked over the man, gently prodding his torso to see if there was any external reason for the wheezing. He grimaced as his hand passed a damp section of the man’s shirt.

“Well that’s not good,” he muttered, gently lifting the cloth up and away from the man’s skin. There was a deep, jagged wound there and Masaru immediately reduced the man’s chance of survival.

“Keep pressure on this,” he told Shiori, gesturing to the wound.

“The head wound -”

“It’s pretty shallow,” Masaru interrupted. “Head wounds always bleed a lot, but if we don’t get the bleeding at his side under control he’s done for.”

Masaru pressed a bandage to the man’s side and had Shiori hold it there while he turned toward the crushed leg. 

“This is disgusting,” Shiori responded. In the poor light, it was difficult to see what they were doing and Masaru felt like his other senses had kicked into overdrive. The coppery scent of blood mingled with the dust in the air threatened to choke him; the faint sounds of battle from above set him even more on edge.

A sharp scream from overhead caused the two of them to look up.

“That sounded like Kiyoko,” Masaru said softly.

Shiori nodded and made a whimpering sort of sound.

“We've got to get up there,” Masaru said. 

“I suppose I could try and climb the walls with chakra, but it would be hard. And I still don’t know how I’d get out that tiny crack at the top. I’d have to attack it somehow…” She shook her head.

“You can do it. You need to get out.” It was just a practical choice. Shiori would be more helpful in a battle than Masaru would be. She was stronger than him, and he knew it. 

Shiori looked at him with a frown. “I'm not leaving you here.”

“Look, this guy needs me here if he's going to have any chance of survival. And I don't have the chakra control to scale these walls,” he looked toward the strip of sky above. “But you do. I know you can get up there and help them. After that, we'll figure out some way to get this guy out of here.”

“Masaru...”

“Just try, Shiori,” he pushed her gently toward the wall. “I'm not afraid of the dark, or anything. Just don't forget to come to get me.”

Shiori looked at him for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.” 

* * *

####  *Shiori*

Shiori took one more look at Masaru; conflicted about leaving him down in the darkness. It didn’t sit right with her, but she knew she wasn’t going to be all that useful to him, and Kiyoko and Akira-sensei might need her help. 

With a deep breath - that she immediately regretted as pain spiked through her chest - Shiori turned toward the wall and closed her eyes. She blocked out everything but the feeling of chakra coursing through her; it was comforting, like slipping into a warm bath. She took that gentle energy and focused it on her hands and feet, gathering it until she imagined she could feel her skin tingling.

Opening her eyes, she reached over her head and placed her hands on the wall, pouring just a sliver of the chakra she had gathered into the stone. After some trial and error, she found the right amount and began to pull herself toward the small crack of sky above - trying desperately to ignore the screaming pain in her ribs at every motion.

By the time Shiori reached the crack at the top of the crevice, her sides were screaming in agony and her fingernails were jagged and bloody. She’d slipped more than once on her way up and had to scramble frantically to regain her hold. It was a miracle that she’d survived the fall the first time, she couldn’t count on being so lucky again.

She looked around, trying to find a wider opening in the earth to squeeze out of. If she couldn’t find somewhere, she was in trouble. She didn’t have a jutsu in her arsenal that could move the earth and using an exploding tag would probably kill her. At the very least it would send more rubble raining down on Masaru and the Suna-nin. 

There was a spot, a little to her left, that might be wide enough to squeeze through, but it’d be close. Bracing herself, she shuffled to the left. The gap was wider here, though the edges were jagged and there was no way she was getting through without getting scraped up. She glanced down, squinting into the gloom to see if she could make out Masaru and the Suna-nin. It was pointless, she couldn’t see anything but darkness. It was too dangerous to try to widen the crack so she was just going to have to squeeze through.

She carefully poked her head out of the crevice; that was a good start, if she could get her shoulders through, she was set. 

A scream to her right distracted her and she whipped her head around in time to see Akira impaled on her own sword, shielding Kiyoko.

The world stopped for a split second as Shiori tried to process what she was seeing. Her focus torn between the sword, her sensei, and her best friend. All at once, everything rushed back into motion and Shiori was halfway out of the crevice before she even felt the rocks tearing into her skin. She scrambled over the edge, clawing at the ground to give her leverage, and sprinted toward Kiyoko and Akira as her sensei vanished in a puff of smoke. 

_ A clone _ ? She thought as a jolt of hope raced through her. 

That hope was quickly dashed when the enemy continued to move toward Kiyoko, now that Akira-sensei was out of the way.

Shiori just managed to reach them in time to block the man’s attack with a kunai. Akira-sensei’s sword had vanished with her clone, but the man seemed more than content to attack the genin in a more straightforward manner. 

“Look at you, appearing out of the earth like a little flower,” he said, easily blocking Shiori’s kick. “Maybe I’ll keep you, dried and pressed, once we’re done, little flower.”

Shiori shuddered at the image and barely managed to duck his next attack. He was more skilled than her; probably more skilled than her and Kiyoko combined. And Kiyoko was still sitting on the ground, staring at the spot where Akira-sensei’s clone had vanished.

A sudden pain erupted across Shiori’s face as one of the man’s punches connected, splitting her lip and throwing her to the side. She swiped out with a kunai, catching his leg but he hardly seemed to notice.

She spat blood from her mouth and glared at him, trying to breathe past the pain.

“Giving up, little flower?”

* * *

####  *Masaru*

Masaru watched Shiori climb for a moment, until he was sure that she had a solid grip on the wall. It was a risk, if she fell when she was too far up there would be nothing he could do to help, but what choice did they have? If things went bad on the surface, they could be stuck here. Of course, if things went really bad up there, Masaru was in trouble anyway.

He returned his attention to the Suna-nin in front of him. The wound on his side was still oozing blood and Masaru was running out of bandages. “I am so sorry,” he muttered as he started to push his remaining clean gauze into the wound. Packing a wound in these conditions was risky; especially if they couldn’t get this guy to a real doctor soon. But Masaru’s alternative was to watch the man slowly bleed to death and that wasn’t an option. 

He had just enough gauze left to get the wound tightly packed and he leaned into the bandage on top; putting as much pressure as he safely could.

The man stirred beneath him, groaning and feebly trying to fight Masaru off.

“Hey,” Masaru said, laying a hand on his shoulder and keeping the other on the wound. “You’re safe, but I need you to stay still.”

The man’s eyes fluttered open and he tried to focus on Masaru. “Who-” his question dissolved into a coughing fit that brought a foam of blood to his lip.

“Shhh,” Masaru said, holding him steady. “I’m Masaru, from Konoha. Our teams were attacked and we were caught in a jutsu. We’re stuck down here for now but my team is coming. We’re going to get out of this so just hold on, and hold still.”

* * *

####  *Shiori*

Shiori struggled in the masked man’s grip; trying to kick, hit, scratch, bite, whatever she could to free herself. He’d moved so quickly, snatching her and Kiyoko before she even realized what was happening. 

“Stop squirming,” he grunted, tightening his chokehold on Shiori as he steered her and Kiyoko until they were standing between him and Akira-sensei. 

“Hayashi Akira,” the man said, carefully using Shiori and Kiyoko as shields. “Your students, I assume? So precious.”

Akira-sensei and the woman from Suna had stopped a few feet away and Shiori couldn’t help noticing how beat-up they looked. The woman from Suna had multiple burns and cuts; it looked like Akira-sensei’s arm was dislocated and blood dripped from her limp fingers.

Akira-sensei sighed and massaged the back of her neck with her non-dislocated arm. “What do you want?” She asked, staring flatly at the masked man.

The man laughed and tightened his hold on Shiori and Kiyoko. “I’m trying to decide that myself.”

Akira-sensei sighed again. “Look, why don’t you be a man about this and take off your mask so we can talk face-to-face.”

“Trying to set me off by insulting my masculinity?” The man chuckled. “I’m not like that other idiot; I assume he’s dead?”

Akira-sensei nodded slowly.

“Well, aren’t you impressive.” He released Kiyoko briefly to raise his mask but his arm was back around her throat before she could move to escape. “You know,” he continued. “Unlike that idiot, I have an  _ immense _ amount of respect for you. My master isn’t the time to order just  _ anybody _ eliminated. You must be something special.”

“And who is your master?” Akira-sensei asked.

The man laughed and shook his head. “Now, now, that would be telling.”

Akira-sensei smirked as a small gust of wind blew across the field, kicking up the dust and torn up grass from the fight. “Yes,” she said, as a wave of dizziness swept over Shiori and she closed her eyes. “I suppose it would be.”

The wind died down, and with it some of the fuzziness in Shiori’s head. 

“Shiori,” Akira-sensei’s voice cut through the remaining fog. “Kiyoko. Slowly walk toward me.”

Shiori opened her eyes and looked toward Akira-sensei but her blue eyes were locked on the man behind them. Carefully, Shiori tried to move his arm and found it easy to push aside; the strength that had held her in place moments ago was gone. Taking Kiyoko’s hand, she led her teammate toward their sensei. 

“You two okay?” Akira-sensei asked, maintaining eye contact with the enemy.

“Yeah,” Shiori said, glancing back at the man. “You have him in a genjutsu; that’s why you had him take off the mask.”

“Genjutsu often works better when you maintain eye contact with your opponent, but in this case it wasn’t the trigger,” Akira-sensei said.

Shiori remembered the sudden breeze and looked up at Akira-sensei. “The wind?”

Akira-sensei winked at her before speaking to the woman beside them. “Hey, Suna,” she said. “Do me a favor and bind that guy. I have some questions for him.”

“So do I,” the woman from Sunagakure said, walking toward the enemy. “And my name’s Kaori.”

“I’m Akira, nice to meet you.”

Shiori glanced up at Akira-sensei, even beat-up and bleeding, she seemed remarkably cool.

Once the man was securely bound, the woman from Suna - Kaori - walked over to Akira-sensei.

“Want me to take care of that for you?” She asked, nodding to Akira-sensei’s arm.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Akira-sensei responded.

Kaori nodded and got a firm hold on Akira-sensei’s arm. “Ready?”

Akira-sensei nodded and Kaori jerked the joint into place.

“Thanks,” Akira-sensei hissed through her teeth.

“My pleasure,” Kaori said. “Now, about this guy.”

She gestured to the bound man; Akira-sensei’s concentration had broken when Kaori reset her arm and the man was free of the genjutsu. 

The two women walked forward, leaving Shiori behind with a still silent Kiyoko. 

“Hey,” Shiori said, turning to her friend and looking her in the eye. “You okay?”

Kiyoko didn’t respond; Shiori wasn’t even sure she’d heard her. 

“Kiyoko-”

A curse from Akira-sensei cut Shiori off and she turned her attention back to the enemy in time to see him convulsing on the ground.

“Poison,” Kaori said with disgust.

Akira-sensei sighed and crouched down, inspecting his body. “Well, not much we can do about it now.”

She made a few hand signs before pressing her bloody hand to the ground. Kai appeared in a puff of smoke and Shiori thought the scorpion looked a little confused.

“Take a sample, please,” Akira-sensei said, gesturing to the body.

“Akira-san-”

“Kai,” Akira-sensei’s voice held a note of warning and the scorpion sighed.

“We will have words later,” he said in his deep voice.

“I have no doubt.”

“Akira-sensei,” Shiori called. “We need to get Masaru out of that cave. Your teammate’s there too,” she added to Kaori. “Though he wasn’t in great shape when I left.”

“Yuuto’s alive?” Kaori asked.

“He was.”

The two women raced to the edge of the chasm and Kaori opened it more with a careful jutsu before the two dropped down. Shiori led Kiyoko closer to the edge - away from the dead man and the scorpion currently scuttling over him - and sat her down. There was a subtle trembling through Kiyoko’s body and Shiori put an arm around her, trying to hold her still. It didn’t work.

* * *

####  *Masaru*

Masaru gasped when he heard the sound of rocks grinding overhead and flung himself over the Suna-nin, shielding his body as much as he could. When nothing came crashing down on them, he looked up and nearly burst into tears at the sight of Akira-sensei jumping toward him, her ridiculous black jacket fanned out behind her. 

“Masaru.” She knelt next to him as soon as she reached the ground and began looking over him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m-” he cleared his throat. “I’m fine. Just missing the sky a bit.”

Akira-sensei smiled and hugged him. Normally, Masaru’s instinct would be to pull away and scowl, but this time he leaned into the hug and tried to convince himself that the prickling feeling in his eyes was just the dust.

“Yuuto!” The woman from Suna had come down with Akira-sensei and was kneeling on the other side of her teammate. 

“He’s not doing so well,” Masaru said, reluctantly pulling away from Akira-sensei’s hug. “I did what I could but,” he shrugged and let his voice trail off.

“Thank you,” the woman said, carefully gathering the man into her arms.

“Let’s get out of here,” Akira-sensei said. She had Masaru put an arm around her shoulders so she could jump off the walls of the crevice, using her chakra to bring them to the top. He was relieved when they finally made it out. 

“Stay here for a second,” she said, leaving him near Shiori and Kiyoko before going to see what she could do to help the Suna-nin.

Masaru watched her kneel beside the man and press a hand to the wound in his side. Her chakra flared green for a moment around her hands and Masaru’s eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t know Akira-sensei knew medical ninjutsu.

“Are you okay?” Shiori asked, drawing his attention toward her and Kiyoko.

He opened his mouth to answer but snapped it shut again at the sight of his teammates. Shiori’s lip was split and her dress was torn in places where it looked like rocks from the crevice had scraped her. Kiyoko was hunched around her hand, a kunai still embedded in the skin.

“Forget me,” Masaru said, reaching for Kiyoko’s hand. She let him take it and he examined it closely; the kunai had pierced all the way through. They were going to have to wait for Akira-sensei and her medical ninjutsu before taking it out. He glanced up at Kiyoko, trying to gauge her level of pain. “Hey, Kiyoko,” he said quietly, the far-away look on her face unnerving him. “You in there?”

“She’s been like this since I got here,” Shiori said. The raven-haired kunoichi’s usually impeccable posture was slumped as she huddled in on herself, her arms crossed over her ribs protectively.

“What happened?” Masaru asked.

“She saw Akira-sensei die.”

“Wait, what?!”

“It was just a clone,” Shiori said quickly. “But Kiyoko’s upset anyway.”

Masaru frowned and looked down at Kiyoko’s hand again. “What even happened here?” He muttered. “This wasn’t supposed to be a trap.”

“I don’t know,” Shiori said. “But one of the enemies said that their master wanted Akira-sensei eliminated.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m terribly dangerous,” Akira-sensei answered, walking toward them. “Hadn’t you noticed?”

Masaru gave her a flat look and she smiled before kneeling down. 

“Now, let’s take a look at that hand,” she said, taking Kiyoko’s hand from Masaru. “Well, this is quite the wound,” she continued, looking from Kiyoko’s hand to her face with a frown.

“She’s been like this,” Shiori repeated, her voice getting quieter every time.

Masaru saw her hands clench, gripping the grey fabric of her dress.

“She’ll be okay,” Akira-sensei said. “Let’s get this kunai taken care of first,” she tightened her grip on Kiyoko’s hand then swiftly pulled the knife out, immediately covering the wound and activating her medical ninjutsu.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” Masaru muttered, watching the wound on Kiyoko’s hand heal.

“I’m not nearly as skilled as your mother or sister,” Akira-sensei said. “Just enough to keep me from dying in the field. If I’m lucky,” she added with a smile. 


	10. Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV Hayashi Akira

Akira felt a wave of dizziness and stopped her medical ninjutsu; with the chakra she’d expended in the fight, it wasn’t wise to use much more. Especially when she couldn’t be sure they were really safe. Akira checked the wound on Kiyoko’s hand and was relieved to see it nearly closed. She bandaged it quickly before studying her student’s face. Kiyoko was in shock; no doubt about that. The mixture of her wound, and seeing her first real fight, had been too much for her. 

“Kiyoko,” Akira said, putting her hands on either side of Kiyoko’s face and making her look her in the eyes. “You’re all right,” she said. “Everything’s all right.”

Kiyoko blinked, her eyes finally focusing on Akira’s face “You’re dead,” she whispered.

Akira smiled and shook her head. “I’m not, and neither are you.”

A shuddering sob wracked Kiyoko’s lean frame and she threw herself into Akira’s arms. “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled into Akira’s jacket.

“It’s okay,” Akira soothed her, running a hand through Kiyoko’s messy hair. 

“This was their first mission,” Kaori said, walking toward them as Akira continued to comfort Kiyoko.

It wasn’t a question, but Akira-sensei nodded anyway. 

“Shit.”

“How is he?” Masaru asked, nodding toward her teammate.

“He’ll be okay, your sensei’s got some skill, and I can keep him stabilized until we get home,” she responded. “You did good work, kid.”

“Thanks.”

“Here,” she handed three sealed scrolls to Akira. “I don’t know what went wrong with this, but I hope you’re still interested in an alliance.”

Akira smiled and nodded, handing over her scroll and, after digging it out of Kiyoko’s pack, Kiyoko’s scroll.

Masaru and Shiori did the same and Kaori smiled at them. “You’ve got good students, Akira-san.”

“Yes I do,” she responded.

“I’d better get going, I want to get Yuuto home as soon as I can,” she said, walking toward her teammate. “I hope to see you again someday, in better circumstances.”

“Likewise,” Akira said.

Akira and her team watched as the woman carefully lifted her teammate onto her shoulders and carried him toward the west.

“Does this mean we can go home too?” Masaru asked, turning to Akira with profound weariness in his deep brown eyes..

Akira nodded. “Pretty soon,” she said, turning Shiori. “You okay?”

Shiori straightened immediately, pretending that she hadn’t been holding her ribs just a moment ago. “I’m fine,” she said.

“Uh-huh,” Akira responded, gently taking Shiori’s chin in hand and turning her face to get a better look at her lip. She used just enough medical ninjutsu to seal the cut and bring down the bruising along her chin and cheek. “Having trouble breathing?” 

“Maybe a little,” Shiori admitted. “But I’ll be fine, it’s probably just a cracked rib.”

Akira nodded and gently put her hand on Shiori’s side. Shiori grimaced but held still as Akira did what she could to heal the injury. It wasn’t perfect, all of them would have to visit the hospital once they got back to Konoha, but Akira was at least confident they’d all get there.

Akira leaned back on her heels and looked at the three of them. They all looked worse for the wear but they were alive and Akira was grateful for that.

“Akira-san,” Kai said, scuttling toward the group. 

Kiyoko was, at least, recovered enough to whimper and scoot around Masaru, putting him between her and the scorpion.

Kai glanced toward her and sighed before turning back to Akira. “I’ve finished everything. What would you like to do with the bodies?”

Akira stood and walked toward the corpses; it would be a shame to leave them here and waste the opportunity to learn more about them. Especially since they’d both died before Akira could interrogate them.

“Get Mai and Rai,” she said.

Kai vanished in a puff of smoke and returned moments later with two cobalt blue scorpions the size of house cats.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Akira heard Masaru mutter and she glanced back to see Kiyoko clinging to his back.

“Relax,” she called back to her students. “They don’t bite.”

Akira turned to the cobalt scorpions and directed them to the corpse of the man who had poisoned himself. “Seal him, please,” she said.

The cobalt twins scuttled toward the body and, in unison, jabbed their stingers into it. A sap-like resin began pouring from the wounds, quickly covering the body. As it dried, the sap constricted, shrinking until it could fit into one of the scorpion’s claws.

“Sealing complete,” Mai said, holding the ball of amber up to Akira.

“Thank you,” she said, taking it and examining the figure inside. “Now the other,” she nodded toward the other body.

While the twins were working, Akira walked toward the remains of the Suna-nin that had been caught in the explosion. There was hardly enough of him left to preserve. Still, if she left him like this, she’d feel bad.

“Akira-san?” Rai asked, holding up the other enemy body, preserved in amber.

“Him as well,” she said, nodding to the Suna-nin. “As best you can.”

“That will be a challenge,” Rai said.

“But we will do our best,” Mai continued.

“When you’re done, take him to Suna, and give them our condolences,” she said, before turning back to her students. “You three ready to move, or do you want to rest a bit?

“All do respect, Sensei,” Masaru said. “I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”

Shiori nodded in agreement and the four of them headed for home. 

It was nearing sunset by the time Akira saw the gates of Konoha. She’d led them home at a much slower pace, and they’d only gone a few miles that first day before she had them stop at an inn for the night. None of them had complained at the prospect of sleeping on futons instead of the ground. All of them had woken at least once in the night, chased from sleep by a nightmare. Akira had expected that; she’d sat up all night waiting for one of them to shoot up in bed, or wake with a gasp or sob. The first battle was never easy. The first death. Even if they weren’t the ones doing the killing, seeing that changes a person in ways they might not expect. They were strong, though, and by the time they neared the village they’d already fallen back into the easy, teasing conversations they always had.

“Finally,” Kiyoko said, picking up her pace just a little as they reached the gate. “I’m going right to Takara-san’s bakery and eating  _ everything _ .”

“No,” Akira said, grabbing the back of her pink jacket before the blonde could run off. “You’re going right to the hospital.” She grabbed Masaru before he could slink away. “You too. And you,” she said to Shiori.

“Come on,” Masaru groaned. “I’m not even that hurt, just a few bruises.”

“Yeah, but you are late getting back and it’s a good idea to see your mother to let her know you’re okay,” Akira said, dragging him and Kiyoko in the direction of the hospital. “Come on, Shiori.”

“You can run, Shiori,” Kiyoko said dramatically. “I’ll hold her back, you can escape.”

Shiori glanced between Kiyoko and Akira, her grey eyes calculating.

“This village isn’t that big, Shiori, I’ll find you,” Akira said.

Shiori sighed and fell into step behind Akira. “I hate hospitals,” she muttered.

“So do I,” Akira admitted, “but we’re all going so at least we can be miserable together.”

“Or we could all  _ not _ go and be happy together,” Kiyoko offered, looking wistfully in the direction of Takara’s bakery.

“Tell you what, behave and I’ll buy you a treat.”

“I’m offended that you think I’m so easy to buy,” Kiyoko said, managing to actually look offended for a split second before she grinned. “But if you insist.”

Akira smiled; it was good to see her rallying.

Akira made sure Kiyoko, Masaru, and Shiori were safely in the hands of hospital staff before she slunk out of the building. 

“Akira!” Iruka called, running up to the hospital. 

She nearly jumped, feeling like a naughty student. How did he know she was trying to escape? She still tried to slink away, but it was too late; like any good teacher, he wasn’t going to let her off the hook now he had her in his sights. 

“I heard you were back,” he said, frowning at her where she was trying to hide in the shadow of a drainpipe on the building. 

“Yeah, a lot happened, very rough. Going to report now. Bye,” she said, trying to slip away again.

Iruka grabbed hold of her damaged jacket and shook his head. “Oh no, you are getting help.” He wasn’t even gentle as he dragged her inside. 

She only fought him a little, enough that he understood she wasn’t going willingly, but she didn’t have the energy or the heart to actually try and fight him. 

Akira wrinkled her nose in annoyance as she was put in a hospital gown and stuck on a bed while a healer tended to her more serious injuries. 

Iruka sat next to her bed, watching her like a disapproving mother hen, his arms crossed over his chest. “Honestly, every mission, it’s the same thing.” He actually clicked his tongue and Akira had to fight a giggle.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were saying I’m injury-prone,” she chuckled.

“You are. But that’s not the point.” He rolled his eyes. 

“Come on, sensei,” she said with a little whine in her voice. “Let’s defer the lecture for now. Tell me all about things that happened while I was away,” she said. As an alarm went off in a distant room she reached for his hand, squeezing it. She didn’t handle hospitals well.

Thankfully, Iruka finally took some pity on her. “Well, let me see. Kakashi-senpai is off on a mission with his team. There have been some rumors going around that Ibiki-san has taken up cake decorating in his free time. But I don’t believe it.” He hummed thoughtfully. 

Akira laughed at the thought of her former supervisor, one of the most terrifying shinobi in the village, decorating cakes. “Even if he did, no one would dare eat anything he offered them,” she said, taking a breath as they started bandaging her. “Is that all?” 

“Actually there is something rather juicy going around,” Iruka said, cracking a small, mischievous smile like he used to when they were young.

“I assume it’s the village’s favorite jounin couple?” She grinned, thinking of Asuma and Kurenai.

Iruka chuckled and shook his head, “No, it’s a new one. Took everyone by surprise.” 

Akira was actually able to forget the healer for a moment. “Well come on, tell me!” 

“You and Kakashi.” He smirked. 

Akira’s jaw dropped open. “No. What? Why?” 

“Apparently the night before you left the two of you were involved in some backstreet cuddling and kissing? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me first.” He pretended to look wounded. 

Oh by all that was Holy… Akira couldn’t believe her ears. She remembered meeting him after girls’ night. At least she thought she did. They had to be making it up. She’d remember if it was that! Wouldn’t she? Akira vowed to never drink again. Right after she got drunk enough to forget her hospital experience. But still… That couldn’t be the truth.

Iruka laughed loudly, nearly tipping back in his chair and got a dirty look from the healer. “Oh the look on your face, Akira!” 

“Shut up.” She pinched his leg. “It’s not a laughing matter! I don’t know if I actually remember that night or not,” she admitted.

He was still laughing. “Well, relationships have started under odder circumstances.” 

She was tempted to pinch him again. “We are not in a relationship.” 

He finally stopped laughing at her expense and reached over to pat her hand. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll get back and you can sort it all out.”

“Oh, won’t that be a fun conversation.” She sighed.

He squeezed her hand. “It’ll be fine.” 

The healer pronounced Akira clear to leave, giving her a list of instructions that she had no intention of following. 

“Come back to my house for some tea and a good meal,” Iruka offered. “Then you don’t have to cook.”

She gave him a wary look. “No more laughing?” 

“I promise to be good.” He smiled.

“Okay.” Akira smiled. “But first I have to report to the Hokage; he needs to know how sideways this went.” 

“I get a feeling that won’t be a quick discussion,” Iruka said. “I’ll make something that reheats easily, so come over no matter how late it gets.”

“Yes, sensei,” Akira teased, waving at him before heading toward the Hokage’s residence. Of all her friends, Iruka was probably the best at taking her mind off things that worried her and she valued his ability to encourage her to take care of herself without being too overbearing. He would never be the strongest shinobi, his heart was too gentle for that, but he was one of the village’s best, as far as she was concerned. 

As Iruka had predicted, her conversation with the Hokage had not been quick. It was well past dinner by the time she left the Hokage’s residence and started toward Iruka’s. She paused, sensing a familiar presence on a nearby roof; he must be back from his mission and enjoying the crisp night air. Her heart actually fluttered a little, remembering her conversation with Iruka. She should just go to Iruka’s, she’d left him waiting long enough, but surely he wouldn’t mind waiting a bit longer - finding out what Kakashi thought of the rumors was something Iruka wanted to know as well, after all. 

She landed silently next to Kakashi, pleased he had sensed her coming and waited for her.

“Well, I hope your team's first mission outside the village went better than mine,” she said. A little light shop talk and then she’d cut to the real meat of the matter. 

Next to her, Kakashi shrugged. “I haven’t heard how yours went. But we met Zabuza Momochi.”

Akira's eyes widened. “What happened?”

Kakashi briefly told the story of how it was supposed to be a simple mission, guarding a bridge builder against bandits. How it turned out that by ‘bandits’ the bridge builder had really meant the crime lord Gato's thugs; two of which were Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist and his young partner, Haku. 

When Kakashi got to their final confrontation on the bridge, he paused and sighed. “I hesitated,” he admitted. “When that boy stepped in front of Zabuza, I hesitated.”

Akira couldn’t help but be surprised at the admission. It wasn’t that Kakashi was vain and wouldn’t admit to a mistake, it was just he didn’t make them anymore. And if he did, he was usually more practical about it and not so emotional. But the way his face was hard through his mask, and his voice sounded so broken… He was confessing a mistake, a regret. Their friendship had been good, but never so close. She felt honored he’d trust her with such a statement. 

Akira put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Killing a child is one of the hardest things we have to do,” she said. “Even if that child is a skilled shinobi and our enemy.” It was the practical line, the one they had been trained for during the war. Even enemy children couldn’t be trusted if they had the power to attack. Taking a breath she repaid his openness with an openness of her own. 

“The day we stop thinking - when we simply become tools who can look into the face of a child and only see an enemy - that’s the day when we lose everything,” she said. It was a controversial opinion really. Some people did believe ninja were simply tools without any emotion. But Akira had never been convinced of that. 

Kakashi nodded and gave her a thankful look. He finished his story quickly and when he stopped speaking, Akira couldn’t help but smile.

“Leave it to Naruto to convince the hardest of hearts to feel,” she said with a small chuckle. 

Kakashi nodded and sighed. “He's a pain, but he has this way of bringing out the best in others.”

“Ooh,” Akira teased. “I can't wait to see how he improves you, senpai.”

“Maybe I should transfer him to you,” Kakashi muttered, rolling his eye.

Akira laughed and it felt good, like a piece of her worry was lifted away.

“So what happened on your mission?” Kakashi asked.

“It was a trap, an ambush,” Akira said with a sigh.

“For whom?”

“Me.”

Kakashi glanced at her. “For you? Why?” He was teasing her; he knew it would get under her skin. 

She shot him a dirty look anyway. “You know, I am actually considered dangerous by some people,” she responded, not caring how petulant she sounded or that she’d taken the bait so easily. “I mean, I'm no Kakashi of the Sharingan but I do have a few Bingo Book entries to my name...”

Kakashi chuckled and held up his hands. “Oh my, you have me convinced.”

Akira gave him another look and he laughed.

“So tell me about it?” He asked. 

She told him the story of their trip and frowned again.

“Do you know who set the trap?”

“Not yet,” Akira said, thinking of the corpses preserved in amber just waiting for her to examine. “It’s driving me up the wall.”

It was his turn to put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find the answer,” he promised.

She could only assume by ‘we’ he meant the whole village, but it was amusing - and comforting - to think of the two of them taking on this mysterious villain. 

With his hand on her shoulder again, she remembered her drunken night before she’d left. 

“We’ll set tongues wagging again if we keep meeting like this,” she laughed. 

“Oh? Are we the subject of some good gossip?” He asked and moved his hand from her shoulder. 

Akira resisted the urge to sigh at the loss of contact. “Apparently. Iruka informed me all about it earlier today.”

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. “That night before you left was the moment of interest, I assume? That was an interesting encounter. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so off your guard, Akira.” 

She fought the urge to giggle as he called her Akira again. And it wasn’t hard to fight it as she started worrying about what he meant by off her guard. “I didn’t quite remember it that way.” 

Kakashi looked amused and chuckled behind his mask. “Really? Well I’m glad you remember it at all,” he teased.

Akira gave him a playful shove, “I wasn’t  _ that _ drunk,” she said, even as she sent up a heartfelt prayer that she was right. 

He laughed. “No, you weren’t. Honestly, I’m surprised that our talk even drew gossip. It must have been a slow week here.” He shrugged. 

She sighed, was that good news or bad news? Good that he didn’t think she had been silly and drunk. But bad because… well, damnit, she wanted to cause gossip with Kakashi. Was that so wrong? Not a lot of gossip. But a little. Just for fun. 

“So what are the rumors?” He asked, sounding curious as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Well, that you and I were out late, embracing in a dark alley on the way back to my apartment,” she said, a little more dramatically than necessary. “Then you tried to kiss me and I pushed you away.” It was useless to pretend she wasn’t blushing. Akira could only pray it was a faint blush that could be caused by cold air nipping her cheeks. 

Because of Kakashi’s damn mask and headband, it was hard to read his facial expressions, but from years of reading people, Akira could tell he was surprised.

“That is not what happened.” He sounded embarrassed as she felt. 

“Of course not.” She shook her head. “But I could see how they’d see it that way.” She was trying to see if she could get him to give away anything. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her memory. But she didn’t trust her memory. 

Kakashi suddenly gave her a very earnest look. “Akira, if I meant to kiss you, you’d remember.” He knew what she was doing. 

She smiled at him. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, and wondered if she’d have the pleasure of knowing someday. “But unless you intend to make good on your offer right this moment, I should be off.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Kakashi chuckled.

“All I do is tempt you,” Akira responded with a cheeky smirk. “Have a good night, Kakashi-senpai.”

Akira jumped off the roof and headed for Iruka’s, not bothering to keep the grin off her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a crazy world out there right now everyone. Please stay safe! Wash those hands!


	11. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Umino Iruka

Iruka was finished cooking and just debating putting the food in the fridge to wait when Akira arrived at his house. He smiled and opened the door for her, a little surprised by the giant grin on her face.

“Did something good happen at the Hokage’s office?” He asked. 

“Not that. It was something better. I ran into Kakashi on my way back over here.” She said, kicking off her boots.

“Oh?” Iruka smiled. For years Akira had had a little crush on the famous jounin. She flirted with him frequently, though she was always careful to make sure she never went past the bounds of friendship. Even Iruka couldn’t tell if Akira actually wanted it to go past flirting and get to something more serious. Sometimes she sounded like she’d like to have a romantic relationship with Kakashi. But often it seemed like she was just enjoying the fun of flirting without anything serious attached. 

“We had a talk about our missions. And of course we talked about the rumor.” Akira paused and her smile widened. “Then he said that if he’d really meant to kiss me I’d remember.”

Iruka was all too familiar with the expression on Akira’s face; it was the same look she got when someone gave her a particularly difficult puzzle and challenged her to finish it in record time. 

“Of course, I _ had _ to tease him about that,” she continued. “I think he’s finally starting to pay all my flirting some serious attention.” She grinned and walked over to the table.

Iruka smiled a little. “Ah, so we’re back to wanting him to do that?” 

Akira blushed, “I never said I didn’t want him to take me seriously. I just -” she sighed and sat at the table. “I don’t know, Iruka, it seems ridiculous to me that someone like Hatake Kakashi would see me as worth their time.”

“Akira-”

“Though, I suppose it’s okay if it’s nothing more than fun between us,” she said before Iruka could comment on her unusual lack of self confidence. “But I wouldn’t mind if he did like me back, even a little.”

Iruka served her some dinner and then some for himself. “I know what you mean.” He nodded. 

Akira smiled at him as he sat. “Speaking of, tell me all about your picnic with Takara. You were supposed to go out with all the teachers yesterday, correct? Did you have a chance for a private word with her?”

“Actually…” He thought back to the event and smiled softly.

_ It was a lovely fall day in Konoha, the temperature was not too cold just yet so they could enjoy the nice picnic they had planned. However, after sitting for about fifteen minutes on the blanket it was clear that Takara and Iruka were going to be the only ones to come to the staff picnic that Takara had suggested. _

_ “I’m sorry the other teachers didn’t make it.” Iruka said, feeling embarrassed. “Kiyoko had offered to deliver the notes for me. I suppose I should have done it myself.” He could only pray that Takara-san didn’t think this was some kind of set up. _

_ She smiled and opened the picnic basket she had brought. “It’s alright. Let’s go ahead and eat. It would be a shame for it to all go to waste.” She suggested. _

_ Iruka nodded and helped her spread out the dishes she’d made. She was an angel. There was do doubt about it. _

_ “It all looks wonderful.” He smiled. _

_ She blushed, “Thank you.” _

_ “I brought some fruit.” He quickly held up a basket of his own, with oranges and apples. _

_ “That’s perfect. I brought enough juice for five people so we’d better get drinking.” She giggled, her cute little laugh made her whole face crinkle up in a sweet way. _

_ Takara poured him a glass and he took it, their fingers brushing. Which was perfectly natural he reminded himself, no need to blush. _

_ “So, tell me about your new students, are your classes going well?” She asked as she held up a plate of mouse-shaped little chocolate cakes. _

_ Iruka happily took one, they were one of his guilty pleasures. “Very good. It’s hard with Akira-san gone. But we’re getting along with the new teacher. And the students seem happy.” _

_ She nodded with interest. “I don’t know Akira-san very well, but she is always so kind when she comes into my shop. She bought her new team sweets when they set off on their first mission. She obviously is doing something right.” Takara giggled. _

_ Iruka smiled, “She is a very good teacher, she just doesn’t give herself enough credit.” _

_ Takara gave him an odd look and smiled softly, “Maybe it’s a trait among teachers.” She said. _

_ For a moment Iruka didn’t understand and then he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck again. _

_ She didn’t give him the chance to deny it before she put a hand on his knee. “You always seem to say things like your influence on the students is minimal. But I know that’s not true. If you think Akira should give herself more credit then you should do the same.” She smiled. _

_ Iruka blushed harder, “You’re too kind Takara-san.” _

_ She giggled a little, “Just think about what I said.” She pulled her hand back and started peeling an orange. _

_ Iruka nodded, “I will.” He promised. He grabbed another mouse cookie and smiled softly as they enjoyed their quiet picnic together. _

_ “You have a wonderfully calming presence, Takara-san.” He said after a while, realizing he hadn’t been thinking about the school or any of his other chores since they’d been together. _

_ Takara giggled, “Thank you. You have to be patient for baking. So I suppose you’re picking that up. Iruka.” She said his name, just his name. Takara peaked up at him through her long dark lashes, probably gauging his reaction. _

_ Iruka flushed a little and smiled. Nevermind the way his heart skipped a beat there. It was perfectly normal for friends. Perfectly. _

_ “Well I appreciate it, Takara.” He reciprocated her gesture, “I tend to be a bit frantic in day to day life. Comes from teaching children I suppose.” _

_ She giggled and tipped her head up, “Then you should just spend some more time with me.” The offer was shy, a faint rose color on her cheeks, but it was sincere. _

_ Forget skipping a beat, Iruka’s heart was pounding at such an irregular rhythm the picnic might have to move to a hospital bed. _

_ “That would be nice.” He said, his voice cracking, “I’d like that.” He nodded enthusiastically. _

_ Takara grinned, that lovely honest smile that made her whole face and person brighter. “You know, Iruka, I’m actually glad we could spend time together today.” She said, her cheeks still rosy colored. _

_ “Oh?” He really was having trouble focusing on what she was saying, her bright happy face was just about all his brain was able to absorb. _

_ “Well, we’ve known each other for years but I feel like we haven’t had time to talk one on one like this before.” She explained. _

_ He smiled a little and nodded, his mind still wandering. Takara’s long hair was in a braid that started near her temple and circled back, coming to a sort of messy bun at the nape of her neck. He could just imagine her long fingers spending time twisting her hair and tying it back. Was her hair soft and silky as it looked? _

_ “Why is that?” She asked, looking up at him. _

_ Iruka realized she was waiting for him to say something and he had to quickly backtrack to think about what she’d said. “I don’t know. But we should do this again sometime.” He said, hoping he’d followed her. _

_ She beamed at him, “That would be great. How about you come to my house for dinner soon? I’m a pretty average cook I’ll admit. But I do make some good side dishes to my baked goods.” She giggled. _

_ Iruka was having a hard time not reading something into that invitation. It certainly seemed like a date. But then again, didn’t Akira ask him over sometimes? And there was nothing romantic there. Best to play it safe. _

_ “That would be nice.” He nodded politely and smiled a little, trying to keep his reaction lukewarm. _

_ Takara sighed softly, looking away. _

_ Iruka got the feeling she was disappointed but he wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong. _

_ “Did you want another orange?” He asked hopefully. _

_ She looked back up at him and smiled again, her face gentle and sweet, “No thank you. In fact, it’s growing cloudy. We should pack up before we get rained on.” _

_ “Okay.” Iruka nodded, glad she seemed better. Though he wished they could spend more time together. _

_ They worked together packing the food and folding up the blanket. _

_ “Thank you again for everything.” Iruka smiled. _

_ “Of course.” She said. _

_ Once they were finished he picked everything up. “Allow me to walk you home? Your basket is still heavy.” He offered. Though she’d carried it all the way here with no trouble presumably. _

_ Takara smiled and nodded. “That would be nice.” She said. _

_ Iruka walked her back to her shop, which she lived above. They had to walk quickly, the wind was picking up and the smell of coming rain grew stronger. _

_ Takara unlocked the door to her shop and stepped up into the doorway. She was still shorter than he was, but it gave her a few more centimeters of height. _

_ “Iruka, when I asked you over for dinner, how did you feel?” She asked gently. _

_ Iruka blushed a little, if she only knew… “I was pleased. It will be fun. Won’t it?” _

_ She smiled softly, “Close your eyes.” She said. _

_ He was surprised but didn’t even debate if he’d do it or not. He simply closed his eyes, “What now?” _

_ “Uhh, bend forward a little.” _

_ He did so without any hesitation. From anyone else, he’d probably suspect a trick but not Takara. _

_ “Perfect.” She said, sounding happy. _

_ Iruka was about to ask why it was perfect when he felt her strong hands on his shoulders and her lips against his. _

_ His surprise could not have been greater and he very nearly dropped her basket and his basket of fruit. _

_ The kiss was just about everything he thought a kiss from Takara might be like. Sweet and gentle. Sadly it was over too quickly. _

_ “You can open your eyes now.” Takara said, pulling her hands away and taking her basket from Iruka. _

_ He opened his eyes, no doubt still looking stunned. He barely remembered he had to stand up straight again. _

_ “When I asked you over it’s because I like you.” She said, blushing and a shy smile over her face. “You’re too kind to know it without me saying so. So, well, I am saying so.” _

_ Iruka nodded a little, blushing violently, “O-okay. Th-that’s good then. I’ll see you soon.” He reached out and grabbed her hand, shaking it before he stormed off. _

He told Akira the bulk of the story, they really didn’t have any secrets from each other.

“Do you think she really means ‘like’? Or perhaps the kiss was more friendly?” He asked her.

Akira, who had been listening intently to Iruka’s story, started sighing and made a motion like she was stabbing herself with a chopstick. “Please, Iruka, my friend, you’re killing me. Let me tell you, using all my womanly intuitions, she likes you.”

Iruka blushed again, “Really?”

Akira sighed and then laughed, “Just listen to her. Don’t try and read between the lines. Listen to what she’s telling you, and pay attention to her actions.”

Iruka started clearing the dishes, “I just don’t want to presume. Or get my hopes up.” He frowned. 

“You also don’t want to miss your chance. It’ll be fine.” Akira assured him. 

He rinsed all his dishes, smiling to himself as he thought about it. 

“I’d better be getting home. You’re humming a waltz tune.” Akira laughed and got up from his table.

“I was not.” He denied quickly and hoped it was true. “Anyway, let me walk you back.”

“You don’t have to fuss.” Akira said, though she wasn’t exactly complaining. 

“It’s fine; let’s go.” He let the rest of the dishes wait while he took his friend home. 

Akira opened the door to her apartment with a yawn. “Looking forward to a real bed,” she said.

She flicked on the lights and Iruka nodded.

“Beds are something that I’d miss while I was away on missions,” he agreed. He frowned when he saw the look of shock on her face. He turned and looked at her apartment.

It was a large open space, and most of it seemed fine except the makeshift lab in the corner of her living room. 

The lab was completely in shambles. It had all the look of being thrown over by thieves or worse. Papers were thrown around, drawers tipped open and tossed aside, vials of who knows what, were broken and smashed, their gooey contents spilling out everywhere. From how they still dripped, it was obvious that the raid had happened recently. 

Akira rushed forward and started rummaging through mess. “Tell me it’s still here,” she said, nearly panicked. It was more worked up than Iruka had heard her in a long time.

“No, no, no,” she repeated as she went through one discarded drawer after another. “My notes, the poison, it’s gone. Everything I need is gone,” she kicked one of the empty drawers and it splintered against the wall. “Damnit!”

“Akira, calm down,” Iruka said, reaching toward her.

“I am calm,” she yelled and punched the wall. 

“Akira, please.” The sound of her hitting the wall again made him grimace. “That’s not going to help. Just take a deep breath and we can figure out what happened.”

“I know what happened,” Akira hissed. “They destroyed my work. They stole my notes. They tried to set me back years.” She glared at the broken glass, spilled chemicals, and torn paper. “They were in my _ home _.”

“You should get some rest,” Iruka said, carefully picking his way toward her and resting a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll clean this up, you get some sleep.”

“Absolutely not,” Akira said, taking a deep breath and coming back to herself a little. “I can’t have you touching something toxic after you’ve been such a sweetheart.”

“So you wouldn’t be bothered by my touching something toxic otherwise, then?” Iruka teased, knowing it was the best way to get Akira to calm down.

“Depends on the day,” she responded with a begrudging smile. “Go ahead and go home, Iruka, I can take care of this.”

“Akira-”

“I promise I’ll even try to get some sleep afterward,” she interrupted.

Iruka sighed, desperately wanting to argue with her but knowing it was futile. “Okay, I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Iruka,” Akira said with a smile. “For everything.” 

Iruka worked the next few days with his current students, taking the time to check in with Akira a few times. There was still no word on who’d thrown over her office. 

Winter was here in full force. As he started spending more time around Takara’s store it was fun to see Kiyoko come back to life, mostly thanks to Kiba and Akamaru. 

“They would be a cute couple,” Takara said after the two of them had come in to buy sweet rolls. 

“It’s so funny to think of them as adult enough to be a couple when they were little children a short time ago.” He smiled at Takara. 

She giggled, “Understandable as their teacher. But I think I see that little glint in their eyes. That boy Masaru, he’s always dating someone new. It seems like every time he comes in, a different boy is with him.” She laughed. 

Iruka squinted his eyes closed, “I can’t even imagine it. He was so quiet and diligent!” 

She leaned over the counter, smiling at Iruka, and put her hand on his, lightly tracing his rough hands with her fingers. “And you were a class clown, but we all change as we grow up.” She smiled. 

Iruka’s heart fluttered, “I can still be a clown on occasion.” He smiled and reached out to curl some hair behind her ear. 

She giggled again and leaned into his hand, laying her cheek in his palm. “You always bring me cheer, that I know.” 

“Careful you two.” Kakashi laughed as he came in, “You might melt the chocolate right out of the croissants.” He teased.

Iruka blushed and Takara just giggled.

“Speaking of melting, I need to run into the back for a minute. Iruka, will you help Kakashi-san with his purchase?” She said as she dashed away. 

Iruka smiled happily and went around to the other side of the counter. “What did you need, Kakashi-senpai?” 

“Just a loaf of bread, please.” He said before he sighed softly.

Iruka got down the loaf Kakashi had pointed to, “Is there something wrong?” 

“No.” Kakashi shook his head and then rubbed the back of his neck before sighing again. “You seem to have finally worked things out with Takara.” He said. Akira was Iruka’s best friend, but Kakashi had been like an older brother to him. So naturally, he’d noticed Iruka’s struggle with his crush on the lovely baker. 

“That’s right.” He nodded happily. 

“That’s good.” Kakashi said, and sounded happy for his friend.

“But why all the sighing?” Iruka asked, confused. 

Kakashi hesitated a moment, possibly checking there was no one listening, “It’s been almost four years now since… you know.” 

Iruka had to shake himself from a head full of romantic fluff and he nodded. It was a pretty cute story actually. The group of jounin had been out for drinks apparently, and suddenly in the middle of everything, Kakashi realized he had fallen in love with Akira. Iruka had been told about it only a year ago or so when he’d picked up on the fact Kakashi was acting a little odd around her. 

“I remember.” Iruka said.

“Well suddenly it’s all confusing. For years it’s been so normal, and now it’s suddenly odd.” He sounded annoyed at the mystery. 

“You mean the rumor going around about you two?” He asked quietly.

“No, not exactly. It’s her. She is suddenly… acting almost serious when she flirts with me.” His frown was evident through his mask. 

Iruka, of course, knew another secret, one he couldn’t tell Kakashi, Akira was serious when flirting with him. Was it any wonder that his own head was so mixed up when it came to Takara and their relationship?

“Perhaps it’s time then to see if she’s actually serious or not?” Iruka suggested. 

Kakashi shook his head immediately. “We’d both regret that.” He sighed again.

“Consider it, Kakashi-senpai. If she’s truly interested, you shouldn’t shut her out.” He smiled softly at his friend. 

Kakashi didn’t look like he was going to consider it but he nodded, “Thanks for the advice. And congrats. I expect a family discount next time.” He teased and left with a wave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. We know this is a tense time around the world, so to do our little part to keep spirits up (or at least distracted) we've decided to move to weekly updates for the foreseeable future. Everyone stay safe and healthy out there!


	12. Group Hug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV Kiyoko

Kiyoko had been discharged from the hospital after they’d fixed up her hand. They kept saying she had shock, but it didn’t really make sense to her. The way her family fussed over her though, it was clear they understood. 

The first week she was back, Kiyoko either ran or found herself sitting and staring off into space, thinking of the attack over and over. Normally her two cats would team up to take care of her but it was mint season and they basically lived in the garden and didn’t have much time for their people. Her family had been sweet but it wasn’t until Kiba came for a visit and little Akamaru actually crawled in her lap that she started to feel normal again. 

Kiba had been surprised when his dog went to another person’s lap, but Kiyoko was grateful that the pup seemed to sense she was still unhappy.

It wasn’t long before she felt more like herself, walking and talking with Kiba like she had before the mission.

They stopped in for some sweet buns as they walked, waving to Takara-san and Iruka-sensei. 

She smiled at Kiba as they walked and threw bits of the bun for Akamaru to catch. 

“You look better now. You were pretty sick looking when you got back.” Kiba said bluntly, looking at Kiyoko.

Kiyoko blushed and punched him in the arm lightly. “That is not how you talk to girls.” She laughed though.

“It’s how I talk to my sister.” He defended, rubbing his arm where he was hit.

“Well, you should have a little more tact when you talk to other girls.” She rolled her eyes. 

He frowned and was silent for a little while before he opened his mouth again, “You look like you’re feeling better?” It came out as a question, his voice cracking slightly at the end.

Kiyoko tried hard not to giggle at how hard he was trying. She smiled and nodded. 

“I think I am. It’s still hard. I don’t know how that mission went so wrong. But I am not totally gloomy about it anymore.” 

Kiba sighed. “I can’t wait until we go off on our first real mission. It’s not fair you all get chances and our team hasn’t yet.” 

Kiyoko didn’t try and tell him how bad missions were. “I’m sure you will get your turn soon. Are Hinata and Shino eager to try one as well?” 

He groaned and rolled his head back, “I still don’t know how to deal with Shino yet. And Hinata… I don’t know. She’s nice, but I don’t know how she’s going to go out on missions.” He shrugged. 

Kiyoko chuckled, “There you go, you just need to work on your teamwork. Then you’ll all be ready in no time.” 

“It’s all about teamwork with you.” He said, picking up his pup who was tired of walking. 

“Of course it is. Look at you and Akamaru. You know you have to practice with him and bond. It’s the same with your genin team.” 

He looked thoughtful and stuffed his puppy in his jacket for a more comfortable ride. “I suppose.” He nodded.

She smiled at him and rubbed Akamaru’s head. He looked so cute and cozy she couldn’t resist him. Akamaru didn’t seem to mind and made a happy puppy sound. 

“You’re probably his second favorite person,” Kiba said, smiling.

Kiyoko grinned, “I’m glad. I wish I could have a dog of my own.” She said wistfully. “Though I know she wouldn’t be as fun as Akamaru.” The pup loved such shameless flattering and he barked happily. 

“I’ll get you a dog,” Kiba said quickly.

Kiyoko looked up at him, surprised to see Kiba blushing. “Really?” 

“Well, maybe someday.” He said, looking away.

Kiyoko didn’t know why he was blushing but suddenly she blushed too. “That would be nice.” She squeaked. 

“Race you to the edge of the village!” Kiba shouted, still looking embarrassed.

Kiyoko, also desperate to be talking about something else, took off like an arrow from a bow, running for the hills. 

They raced all the way to the edge before they fell against a tree, laughing and panting for breath. 

Kiyoko grinned at him. “I win.” She said happily. 

“Barely.” He pointed out. “Just wait until my legs grow a little. I’ll beat you.” He laughed.

“Dream on.” She rolled her eyes. 

Kiba smiled at her. “You’re not like other people.” 

Kiyoko sighed, “What was it I said about tact?” She reminded him. 

He moved away, probably afraid of getting punched again. “I mean, you can  _ talk _ and run and stuff like that.” 

“Other people do that stuff. You run around all the time like a crazy guy with Masaru.” She pointed out. 

“It’s just different with you.” He shrugged, looking embarrassed. 

Kiyoko giggled softly, realizing he was trying hard to pay her a compliment. She just accepted it with a smile. “Well, thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.” She found she was blushing again. 

Kiba seemed to think this was high praise and he grinned, his wolfish teeth showing. 

Akamaru barked, putting his two cents in before running off to find a good stick. 

When she got home she found her dad, Takeshi, standing in the doorway, a frown on his face.

“Dad?” She asked, skidding to a halt. 

“Come with me.” He said, putting a hand on her shoulder and turning her back out of the house.

“When did you get back?” She asked, looking up at him. He’d left the same day she had on a mission. 

“Just now. Your mom told me what happened.” He said, guiding her out of the village. 

“Oh.” Kiyoko dropped her head. “Are you mad?” 

“What would I have to be mad about?” He looked down at her.

“Cause I’ve been in a mood since I came back.” She shrugged a little.

“You haven’t been in a mood, sweetheart. You’ve been in shock. It’s okay to need time to feel better.” He said comfortingly. 

“Then what’s with the frown you gave me?” 

He actually smiled a little, “I noticed the scar on your hand. It made me upset, that’s all.” He said, moving his hand to rub her back gently. 

Kiyoko relaxed and smiled, “Thanks, Dad. It feels fine though. And the scar should fade, I have some cream I’m using for it.” 

“That’s good.” He nodded. “But sometimes scars are good reminders.” 

She thought of the man’s face as he’d twisted the kunai in her hand. “I don’t want to be reminded.” She shivered. 

“Well, not ‘good’ in the sense that they are nice. But good because we need to be reminded of what went wrong so we can do better next time.” 

Kiyoko ducked her head again, thinking of how badly she had reacted during the fight.

“Here.” Takeshi reached into his toolbelt and handed her a kunai. 

She looked at the blade for a moment, then up at her dad. But she couldn’t be afraid of them forever. So she grabbed it. 

“We’re going to practice blocking. You have good speed, but you think too hard when you move. You aren’t reading your opponent’s moves and letting yourself react.”

“I’m trying! But he moved fast! So much faster than anyone else I’ve ever practiced on!”

He smiled at her and nodded, “I know, honey. And don’t think I’m bragging, but your old man is fast. Faster than even Akira-sensei.” He winked. 

She looked up at him in awe. After seeing Akira-sensei in battle she was surprised. 

“I’m not the fastest in the village, by any means. But I’ll make a much better partner for you than your teammates for now.” He raised a training kunai with blunted edges. 

“We’re going to practice together?” She grinned. She hadn’t practiced with her dad since she’d been a little girl just starting in the academy. 

“That’s right.” He nodded. “Now, watch me and tell me what I’m going to do next.” 

He started drilling with her, not being shy about hitting her with his blunted blade. Even if she was bruised though she’d take it. It was hard but she started getting the hang of what he was saying. Blocking wasn’t just about stopping the attack that was coming, but guessing what came next, moving to anticipate. 

“You did good, honeycake,” Takeshi said happily, taking a break after they were both breathless. 

“Thanks!” She beamed. 

“But we’re not done yet.” He grinned back at her, the smile that was one of the many things she’d inherited from him. 

They practiced blocking and reading in all sorts of circumstances, he was not taking it easy on her by any means. 

“You are a lot like me, Kiyoko.” He smiled, letting her take a drink out of his canteen and having a short rest. 

“I am?” She said happily. It was her own bias speaking, but her dad was one of the best jounin in the village. 

He nodded and smiled, “My first mission I was so excited, then it turned out kinda scary.” He said softly. 

She looked up at him, wondering if he was just saying that or it was true. “Really?” She asked in a small voice. 

He nodded, “It would be easy to get swallowed up in that fear, in the horrible side of missions. So it’s important for me to think of my friends and my team, protecting them is the most important thing. Right?” He smiled at her.

She nodded. “I think it is. When Shiori and Masaru were buried, staying and helping them was everything that kept me going.” 

Takeshi patted her back. “Don’t let it be a distraction though. They need you at your best, and that means focused until the mission is over. Then you can pull them all in for a group hug.” He chuckled. 

“Okay, dad.” She nodded in understanding. “I’ll try.” 

They practiced more until night, both of them tired and ready for food as they went home.

“I did good, right?” She said, looking up at him. 

“You did. You have lots to learn still. Anytime something goes wrong, start thinking about how to improve and put your energy into that if you can.” He smiled and tucked her under his arm.

Kiyoko grinned happily, she always felt safe and loved in her dad’s arms. The world that had seemed dark when they’d gotten back to the village, now seemed full of wonder and opportunities again. 

The next day she was still buzzing with positive energy. She was thinking about what her dad said, especially as far as a big group hug. 

She packed some of her mom’s cookies for them and planned to go off to find her teammates. Since coming back Akira-sensei had been busy with something so they hadn’t seen each other in almost a week. Well, that would have to stop now. 

Maybe they were feeling better than she had been, but certainly, they could all do with some time together and a cookie. 

Kiyoko pulled on a fuzzy oversized pink sweater and grey leggings. She loved the tunic look and usually preferred it to anything else. With her long hair up in a braided ponytail she ran off to Shiori’s house first. 

She knocked and beamed when Shiori opened the door quickly. 

“Shiori!” She said, throwing her arms around her and hugging her tight. “I missed you.” 

“It’s only been five days…” Shiori said, trying to wriggle out of the hug like a stubborn kitty. 

Kiyoko laughed and let her go. “It was too long. Come on, we’re going to get Masaru.” She said, tugging Shiori’s hand. 

Shiori smiled a little. “Okay, but let me get a coat.” She put on one of her grey jackets, still determined to disappear it seemed. 

Kiyoko took her hand again and led her toward Masaru’s house. They didn’t talk on the way, Shiori wasn’t the small talk type and Kiyoko was saving all her talking for when they were all together.

They knocked on the door and waited but no one answered.

“Maybe he’s out training,” Shiori suggested.

Kiyoko nodded and pulled her toward the closest training ground. 

It took a few tries, but they finally found him at the training ground that had a pond tucked off to one side, like someone had dropped it there and forgotten about it. Masaru was standing shirtless in the center of the pond with a young woman with tanned skin and dark curly hair cut in an asymmetrical bob holding him above the water. Kiyoko had always been told that she looked a lot like her family, but Masaru and Emi had to have her and Ayane beat in that department. 

Kiyoko and Shiori had almost made it to the pond when Emi let Masaru go and he fell the short distance to the water. He hovered, ankle-deep, for a moment until he spotted Kiyoko and Shiori and promptly sunk beneath the surface.

Kiyoko burst out laughing and clung to Shiori for support. Her raven-haired friend even chuckled a little, though Kiyoko could tell she was trying to hold it in. 

“Shut up,” Masaru sputtered, spitting water out as he resurfaced. He crawled to the edge and grabbed a towel, drying himself a little.

“What are you even doing?” Kiyoko asked, still giggling.

“I’m training; what does it look like?” He asked as Emi pulled him out of the water.

“It looks like your sister is winning the water fight,” Kiyoko responded. “Hi, Emi!”

Emi smiled at her; her dark brown eyes sparkling with mirth. “Hey, Kiyoko, Shiori, how’s it going?”

“Much better now,” Kiyoko answered.

“And very pleased to be dry,” Shiori added.

Kiyoko glanced at her friend and grinned at the mischievous smile on her face.

“What do you two want?” Masaru asked as he and Emi made their way to shore.

“We’re having cookies,” Kiyoko said, holding up the bag as proof of her good intentions. “Come on!”

Masaru looked between the cookies and his sister, hesitating.

“Go on,” Emi said, tossing him the mostly-dry sweatshirt that had been sitting on the grass. “You’ve earned a break.”

“See you back home,” Masaru said, tugging the teal sweatshirt over his head and letting Kiyoko lead him away.

Kiyoko led them about halfway up the cliff overlooking the city. Unlike a certain blond criminal, they didn’t crawl all over the faces, but they did sit near them on a ledge to have their cookies.

She sat with Masaru on one side and Shiori on the other. Once they were all sitting she threw her arms around them, holding them both tight. They both tried to wiggle away immediately. 

“I’m so glad we made it through and we’re all safe and sound now!” She said, kicking her legs. 

Masaru gently tried to push away and Shiori was flat out making frustrated sounds as she tried to escape. 

“Five more seconds!” She shouted for them, then counted down before she let them go. 

They both sighed and quickly scooted away as much as the ledge would allow. 

“Kiyoko… you know that talk we had about boundaries a while ago?” Shiori said gently. 

“Cookies!” Kiyoko interrupted her and held the box in her lap for both of them to dig into. 

Both of her teammates traded a look before reluctantly accepting the bribe and getting a cookie.

Kiyoko picked one up and ate the whole thing before she started talking again. 

“During that fight, I let you guys down.” She said sadly. 

“What?” Masaru said surprised. 

“No you didn’t!” Shiori quickly leaped to her defense. 

Kiyoko smiled a little, “It’s okay. I know I did. I got so scared, I froze. Then when you two went underground I cried and Akira-sensei had to help me. Then when I saw her… clone die. I was totally useless. That guy held me captive and I didn’t try to run even. I was useless. A burden on the team.” 

Both of them looked like they’d object but she just handed them more cookies to stuff their mouths. 

“I want to train together, get stronger. I’ll only do that if you can help me.” She said softly. “I don’t need forgiveness, and I don’t need you to cheer me up.” She smiled, “But I do need help.” 

Masaru sighed, “I also feel like a bit of a failure. I could barely get through the cave without Shiori’s help. Then I couldn’t get out and had to let her go by herself for help. Then I didn’t know enough medical stuff to save that guy for sure.” 

Shiori gave a similar sigh, “I got grabbed by that guy so quickly. And I lost vital time getting out of that cave we fell into. I nearly beat myself up so much I couldn’t help when I got out. Not to mention all the chakra I wasted.”

Kiyoko smiled at them and put a hand on each of their arms. “We all have room to grow. But we made it safe this time. Let’s work together to keep growing.” She grinned. 

“You really do have total faith in teamwork.” Masaru smiled. 

“I told you when Akira-sensei gave us her test. I think teamwork is key.”

Shiori chuckled, “I think you must be right.” 

“Then we start training first thing tomorrow!” Kiyoko grinned and grabbed another cookie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and kudos! They really mean so much to us. Stay safe everyone and remember we'll all get through this together! (haha, kiyoko rubbed off on me)


	13. Water Walking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Masaru

A loud crash from downstairs jolted Masaru out of bed and he hit the floor with a thud.

“Damnit, Emi,” he yelled. For being a jounin level medical-nin, his older sister was one of the clumsiest people he knew.

“Watch your language,” Emi yelled back.

“You watch your language,” Masaru grumbled, trying to return his breathing to a normal level. He’d been dreaming of a dark, cramped space where the sound of grinding rocks echoed all around him. For a split second, Masaru had been sure that the crashing sound had been the rumble of boulders raining down on him.

Masaru shook his head and pulled himself to his feet; it had been days since he and his team had returned from their mission and Masaru had been having the same dream every night. If this went on much longer, he was going to be very annoyed.

There was another crash from the kitchen and Masaru rolled his eyes. “What are you doing?” He called, heading toward the kitchen. “Remodelling?”

“No, not really,” Emi said from where she was standing on a chair, reaching for the row of plants that lined the top of the cabinets. “I was trying to rearrange the flowers and a few slipped.”

Masaru looked at the mess of soil, pottery shards, and flowers on the kitchen floor. “You’re a menace,” he said as he started picking up the broken pots.

“Oh hush,” she said, moving the last flower into place. “Look, isn’t this nicer?”

“Mom’s going to kill you when she gets back from work,” he said. “These were her favorite,” he gestured to the blue daisies that were beyond saving.

“I’ll just buy some more, she’ll never notice,” Emi waved away his concern. “How are you feeling by the way?” She asked, hoping off the chair and grabbing the broom.

Emi and his mother had been checking up on him more than usual since he returned from his mission. Masaru would’ve bet good money that Akira-sensei had filled them in on everything that happened; that was the only reason he could think of that Emi hadn’t immediately pressed him for details the moment he got home. Part of him was grateful, he really didn’t want to talk about that long fall into darkness and the life he barely saved - if he even did save it; it’s not like he’d heard if the man had survived the trip back to Suna. Another part of him didn’t love the idea of Akira-sensei telling his mother and sister about how useless he’d been.

“Masaru?” 

He snapped out of his thoughts and shrugged. “I’m fine,” he said. “A little tired. It would have been nice to sleep in,” he added pointedly.

“Sorry,” Emi said with a grin. “But I’m really just helping you out, you’ve got to get used to a hectic schedule as a shinobi.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Masaru said, rolling his eyes. “Hey, Emi,” he asked after a pause while the pair cleaned up her mess. “Do you have some free time today?”

Emi nodded, “I can make some, what’s up?”

“Will you help me improve my chakra control?” Masaru asked in a rush, before he could change his mind.

“Masaru-” she frowned for a moment and Masaru could tell she was resisting the urge to dig for more information. “Sure,” she continued, smiling. “Of course I’ll help.”

“Thanks, nee-chan,” Masaru muttered. “I just - I think I need to do this.”

“You’re evil,” Masaru muttered as Emi pulled him out of the pond for what had to be the hundredth time that morning.

They’d been practicing for what felt like hours. Masaru would try to concentrate his chakra to the bottom of his feet while Emi held him just above the water. Then she’d drop him. Theoretically, he should be able to use his chakra to stay on the surface of the pond. In practice, not so much.

Emi laughed, holding him up under the arms. “Oh come on, this is fun.”

“For you, maybe,” he responded.

“Okay, we’ll take a break; let you dry off a bit,” Emi said, carting him to the shore.

“I don’t think I have enough chakra to pull this off,” Masaru said, pulling his teal sweatshirt over his head and setting it on the grass to dry. He  _ really _ should have taken it off before he let Emi drop him into the water. 

“Of course you do,” Emi said. “You just don’t know how to maintain the right amount; yet!”

Masaru stretched out on the grass and threw an arm over his eyes to block out the sun as the pair lapsed into a comfortable silence.

“So,” Emi said, unable to keep quiet for long. “What brought this on? I mean, I’ve offered to help you with this before.”

“Yeah, but there were always strings attached,” Masaru said, not looking at her.

“What? What strings?” She asked, sounding offended.

“I distinctly remember your offers sounding like: ‘Oh, little brother, let me help you improve your chakra control so you can become a medical-nin just like me,” he said, his voice going as high-pitched as he could manage.

Emi swatted at him and laughed. “And what’s so wrong with being a medical-nin?” She asked. “We save lives.”

“You couldn’t save Dad’s,” Masaru muttered before he could stop himself.

Emi didn’t respond and Masaru sat up. “I’m sorry, Emi,” he started. “I didn’t mean -”

Emi shook her head and held up a hand to quiet him. “No, you’re right, Masaru. Medical ninjutsu couldn’t save Dad. Nothing could have saved him.”

“If he was stronger, he could have saved himself,” Masaru said, looking toward the pond. “Let’s go again.” He stood and headed for the pond, not waiting for Emi’s response. 

Masaru was just starting to get the hang of releasing the correct amount of chakra to keep him stable on the surface of the water when Kiyoko and Shiori interrupted his training. His initial annoyance - and embarrassment at them seeing him fail so spectacularly at the first distraction - quickly vanished when he saw the happy smiles on both their faces. He hadn’t seen them since they’d left the hospital when they got back from their mission and they’d both been subdued then. Especially Kiyoko. In all the years he’d been at the Academy with Kiyoko, he could probably count on one hand the number of times she’d been anything close to subdued. Shiori was harder to read but there was a noticeable difference between her usual calm and the dejected disappointment she’d exuded when they left the hospital. 

Even so, he’d been hesitant to stop his training just as he was starting to get the hang of it; even if Kiyoko was offering him cookies. But Emi was right, a break might do him good, and cookies certainly would, so he let Kiyoko lead him toward the stone faces of the Hokages. 

Masaru stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants as he walked home; hugging aside, it had been good to talk to Kiyoko and Shiori. Admitting that he was disappointed with his actions on the mission, and hearing that they were both disappointed with themselves as well, had been more helpful than he would’ve imagined. 

“Hey, Masaru!” Kiba jogged toward him with Akamaru bounding along behind him. “Where’ve you been hiding?”

“I haven’t been hiding anywhere,” Masaru answered. “I’ve been training, so no wonder you couldn’t find me.”

“Ha, ha,” Kiba said. “You off to train now?”

Masaru shook his head. “I was about to head home.”

“Wanna go to the park and play fetch with Akamaru?”

The puppy barked enthusiastically and Masaru smiled. “Sure.”

“So, you okay?” Kiba asked as he threw a ball for Akamaru.

“Yeah,” Masaru responded, shooting him an inquisitive look.

“Just checking,” Kiba shrugged. “I was talking to Kiyoko, sounds like your mission went bad.”

“You’ve been talking with Kiyoko?” Masaru asked, much more interested in that than rehashing his mission.

“A bit.” Kiba shrugged again, his face reddening.

Masaru grinned and took the ball from Akamaru when the puppy brought it back. “A bit?” He repeated, throwing the ball.

“Yeah, I mean, you’re not my only friend, you know,” Kiba huffed.

“Yeah,” Masaru said. “Friend, sure.”

“Shut up.”

“No, I get it,” Masaru said, holding up his hands and laughing. “Kiyoko’s cool, she’s a good  _ friend _ to have.”

Kiba glared at him, his face bright red. 

“So, when are you two going out?”

Masaru wouldn’t have believed it possible, but Kiba’s face got even redder.

“I’m not - we’re not,” Kiba sputtered.

Masaru laughed as Kiba shook himself, looking a bit too much like Akamaru after a bath. “You’re the one who just asks anyone remotely interesting on dates,” Kiba muttered. 

“What better way to see if they’re more than interesting?” Masaru asked with a shrug. “And in my defense, Kiyoko sets me up pretty often as well.” 

“Sure, and who is it this week?” Kiba asked, clearly trying to distract Masaru.

“Shinichi Nara,” Masaru answered, an image of the handsome chunin flashing through his mind.

“Shikamaru’s cousin?” Kiba asked, surprised.

Masaru nodded.

“When did that happen?”

“He asked me out a few weeks ago, but then I left for the mission so we’re just now getting around to it.”

“I’m surprised you’re willing to date a med-nin; don’t you have enough of those in your life?” Kiba teased. 

Masaru laughed. “Shinichi’s hardly a med-nin,” he said. “He’s more of an apothecary.”

“Right,” Kiba said, rolling his eyes. “Big difference.”

“Hey, if you want, I can ask him if he’d be okay with a double-date with you and Kiyoko.”

“No,” Kiba yelped and Akamaru dropped the ball he’d been chewing on in surprise. “Sorry, Akamaru,” Kiba said, throwing the ball for the puppy. “No,” he repeated to Masaru, sounding moderately more calm. “I - not yet,” he continued. “I mean, we’re just friends.”

“And with that attitude, you always will be,” Masaru said.

Kiba opened his mouth to respond then snapped it shut again, turning away from Masaru with a dirty look. Akamaru dropped the ball at Masaru’s feet and yipped at him to get his attention.

Masaru smiled down at the dog and tossed the ball, grinning as Akamaru nearly tripped over his own feet trying to catch it.

“Hey,” Kiba said, nodding in the opposite direction. “Isn’t that Shiori?”

Masaru turned to look and was surprised to see his teammate walking slowly with Neji at the edge of the park. “Yeah,” he said, frowning. “And with Neji, of all people.”

“He’s so full of himself,” Kiba said. “Think we should go rescue her?”

Masaru laughed and shook his head. “Shiori’s more than capable of rescuing herself, if she wants to. Besides, what would Kiyoko think if you went running off to save another girl?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Kiba yelped.

“Sure,” Masaru said with a shrug. “And you think I’m a playboy.”

“I hate you.”

  
  


“I got it!” Masaru called when there was a knock on the door. His mom had just gotten home and was at the dinner table. He didn’t want her involved and trying to invite Shinichi in or something. He shuddered at the idea. His mom usually let him do his own thing but sometimes she thought she needed to monitor Masaru’s dating habits. 

He ran for the door. He was wearing black pants and a dark blue long sleeve. He threw on a leather jacket and checked himself in the mirror before opening the door. His curly hair was actually behaving, which it only did on date days. Maybe that’s why he went on dates so often, it was the best way to get a good hair day. 

He opened the door and smiled at Shinichi. “Hey.” 

Shinichi was wearing an attractive outfit, though anything the dark haired chinin wore would look good. Shinichi was one of those people with a natural ability to look handsome no matter what he did. It was a little infuriating under normal circumstances. But when he was Masaru’s date on the other hand… it wasn’t so bad. 

“Hi.” Shinichi grinned, flashing his pearly whites. “I’m glad we finally got to do this.” He said. 

“Me too.” Masaru smiled and shut the door behind him. 

Shinichi hesitated a moment then hugged Masaru. 

Masaru chuckled a little and hugged him back. He’d been hoping for a kiss, but he’d accept a hug just the same. 

“Let’s go for some bbq.” Shinichi suggested.

“Sounds great.” Masaru nodded.

Shinichi offered his arm and Masaru laughed but linked arms with him to walk to the restaurant. 

“This is the best part of going out with guys. You get to go out for real food.” Shinichi chuckled. 

“Oh? Is that so?” Masaru laughed, “I only go out with guys so I’ll take your word for it.” He smiled. 

They got to the restaurant and ordered way more meat than they should.

“So, what have you been up to since you came back? You said you needed a few days to settle in?” Shinichi asked.

Masaru sighed. “When we were there… There was this guy who was hurt. And he was laying in our arms, dying.” He shrugged. 

Shinichi gave him a knowing nod, “That is rough.” 

Masaru nodded and leaned his elbow on the table. “It’s made me rethink learning medical ninjutsu.” He confessed. 

Shinichi smiled, “Really? You would be great at it!” He said. 

Masaru laughed and smiled back, “You think? What part, my horrible chakra control or my general reluctance to admit that medical ninjutsu is helpful for anything?” 

Shinichi gave him a gentle smile and ran his foot over between Masaru’s and up his calf. “I was thinking that you’re kind and have a good sense of empathy, that’s important.”

Masaru grinned at him and played footsie back with him, rubbing the toe of his shoe up to Shinichi’s knees. “That’s kind of you to say.” 

“It’s true. I could help you, you know.” Shinichi suggested. He put his hand down on the table, palm up. 

“Oh? With what?” Masaru chuckled, taking the bait of Shinichi’s hand and put his hand in Shinichi’s. 

“With chakra control of course.” Shinichi said, smiling. 

Their meat came and they had to break up their moment. Masaru smiled at Shinichi, but really, Emi was the best teacher. Though it could be fun to have the handsome Shinichi teaching him. 

They walked back to Masaru’s house, holding hands. Masaru smiled and brushed shoulders with Shinichi. It was a fun date, and he definitely could see there being more. Hopefully Shinichi agreed. 

“Thanks for tonight. It was fun.” Masaru said as they got to his house. 

Shinichi grinned, “It was.” he nodded and let go of Masaru’s hand, turning to face him. “Can we do it again? Soon?” He asked. 

Masaru grinned. “I’d like that.” He agreed. 

There was a long pause while Shinichi leaned in closer and then pulled away with a blush, then leaned in again, only to pull back. “Well thanks.” He said. 

Masaru laughed softly. He put his hands on Shinichi’s shoulders to hold him still. “Hold still.” He said. 

He held onto him and had to stretch up on his toes to plant a kiss on Shinichi’s lips. 

Shinichi looked surprised but smiled happily. “Thanks.”

“I’ll show you some things too.” Masaru teased before letting go of him and heading inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delayed update; didn't realize the weekend had past until my Monday morning alarm went off. Thank you all so much for your comments and kudos! We hope you're doing well and staying safe, healthy, and sane.


	14. A Walk in the Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Shiori

Shiori had been determined to stay at home all day; maybe read through a few of the scrolls in her living room that her predecessors had left to see if they had any interesting jutsu. It was a habit of the Kagemura in general to keep detailed journals. Shiori’s predecessors’ writings had been left in the Kagemura house in Konoha for their successors to read and benefit from their experiences in the Village. It was  _ that _ day at the Academy, when the younger students learned about the early history of the village and - inevitably - the role the Kagemura played in almost destroying it after the First Hokage’s death. Shiori had little interest in wandering the village, enduring the suspicious glares of Academy students. 

Kiyoko, however, had other plans and Shiori couldn’t resist indulging her best friend’s request to spend time together as a team. Even Shiori could admit it was probably a good idea; Shiori had been reclusive since they’d returned from their mission. She kept replaying the events in her head, trying to figure out how it could have gone better - and grappling with the inescapable fact that her own skill level was the problem. 

Apparently, Kiyoko and Masaru had been doing the same; each examining their own perceived failures and trying to find ways to cope with that knowledge. Kiyoko, of course, had landed on her universal solution for all life’s problems: teamwork. Shiori wasn’t as team-oriented as Kiyoko - most people weren’t, to be fair. For Shiori, it was hard to think of her challenges as something to be overcome by a group effort. Shiori had spent the last half of her life alone, the sole Kagemura standing between her clan and the ancestral wrath of Konohagakure. When she was with Kiyoko and Masaru, though, and also Akira-sensei, Shiori found herself wanting to believe Kiyoko’s claims that ‘teamwork is key’.

She smiled as she waved goodbye to Kiyoko outside the blonde’s house. Kiyoko had promised to spend time with her sister, and though she had invited Shiori to join them, Shiori had declined, reluctant to intrude on their time together. She loved Kiyoko and her family dearly; they’d always been kind to her and welcomed her into their lives without question when Kiyoko had dragged her home one day. But it was difficult for Shiori to be around them, sometimes. Seeing Kiyoko with her parents and sister made Shiori miss her own family. It made her wonder how her own mother and father were doing, what her brother was like now, whether he had ever forgiven their parents for sending her away.

Shiori realized she was slouching, weighed down by thoughts of home, and straightened her back. It wouldn’t do for anyone to see her skulking through the streets. She turned the corner and nearly ran into a pack of Academy students huddled on the sidewalk outside of her house, staring at it and whispering. They fell silent immediately when they saw Shiori and she felt her pulse accelerate at the looks on their faces, ranging from suspicious to downright hostile. Shiori paused, far enough away from the group to not appear confrontational but close enough not to appear afraid. She weighed her options. The most direct route to her front door was through the middle of the pack; to use her front walkway at all she’d have to at least skirt around the edge of the group. She could keep walking, pretending that she had an errand elsewhere, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone had vandalized her house while she was away and she really didn’t want to clean eggs or graffiti off the walls again.

“Shiori.”

It took all of her self control not to jump when she heard a voice call her name. 

Hyuuga Neji was walking toward her from the opposite direction, his pale eyes narrowed slightly at the group of students. 

“I didn’t realize you were having company,” he said, stopping on the other side of the group.

“Unexpected guests are always the most gratifying,” Shiori responded, plastering a benevolent smile on her face. “I do hope you’ll all join us for tea,” she said, smiling at the Academy students.

She watched, careful to keep her smile in place, as the students shared unsure glances - looking between her and Neji. She could imagine their confusion. What was a member of one of Konoha’s most respected families doing visiting  _ her. _

One of the students, a tall girl with vibrant orange hair, glared at Shiori and hissed ‘traitor’ before dashing off with the rest of the group in tow. 

“Charming,” Shiori said, watching them race away. 

Her pulse rate slowly returned to normal as Neji closed the gap between them and stopped next to her.

“Does this happen often?” He asked.

“No,” Shiori said. “They sat for a history lesson at the Academy today.”

Neji nodded, his eyes flickering to the small scar over her left eyebrow. It had been a history lesson day the first time the two had met. Shiori had come racing through the training ground where Neji was practicing one evening, her forehead bleeding from where a well-aimed rock had struck it. She’d just managed to hide in a tree when her pursuers had entered the training ground looking for her. Neji had pointed them in the wrong direction and used his Byakugan to track them until they were a safe distance away before helping Shiori tend the cut.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” Neji asked, drawing Shiori out of her memory. “Or was your invitation for tea sincere?”

Shiori smiled. “You’re always welcome for tea, but a walk would be nice.”

Neji nodded and the pair walked toward a nearby park. It was unlikely that the Academy students would be bold enough to come by her house again today, and evening walks with Neji were always calming for Shiori.

“I’m surprised you left your house on a history lesson day,” Neji said; he knew her habits too well.

“Kiyoko wanted to do some team building,” Shiori said.

“How is your team?” He asked.

“We’re well matched,” Shiori responded, knowing that he wasn’t asking after their wellbeing. “We compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

“That’s ideal.”

“It is,” Shiori agreed. “And Akira-sensei is skilled, and generally attentive,” she added, remembering that she hadn’t actually seen her sensei in nearly a week. 

Neji smiled slightly. “That sounds like her.”

Shiori glanced at him, surprised; he had never mentioned knowing Akira-sensei before. “You’ve met?”

“She was engaged to a branch family member years ago,” he answered with a nod. “She visited the compound frequently; I remember her being very kind.” He frowned slightly, a barely noticeable twitch between his eyebrows before his face smoothed into its usually distant expression. “She hasn’t visited since his death.”

Shiori looked out over the park, not paying much attention to what she was seeing as she remembered the report they’d found about Akira-sensei’s last mission with her team. Her teammate - and fiancé - had barely managed to get her back to Konoha before he died of his wounds. Shiori couldn’t imagine her sensei’s pain.

She returned her attention to Neji, studying his serene face in the fading light. The orange glow of the setting sun turned his pale eyes to fire, an outward sign of the turmoil that she knew boiled inside of him. They were both bound to serve their clans in ways that neither had chosen, or wanted. There were few in the village that could understand her as he could; and she liked to think the same could be said in reverse.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling when he glanced at her in confusion. “For your timely arrival,” she added. “I wasn’t looking forward to seeing what those students were planning.”

“You could have defeated them easily,” Neji said. “You’re skilled.”

“Perhaps,” she said, looking away to hide her flush at what amounted to significant praise from him. “But thrashing Academy students wouldn’t exactly help reassure the Village that I’m not a threat.”

Neji stopped walking and touched her arm, causing her to stop as well. “It is your fate to sacrifice your liberty for your clan,” he said, his tone soft despite the cold fact of his words. “That does not mean you have to endure torment for them,” he added, brushing a thumb over the scar on her forehead.

Shiori smiled bitterly, trying desperately to ignore the racing of her heart at his closeness. “That’s precisely what it means,” she said, her voice a little too breathless for her liking. “I endure generations worth of retribution, just as my predecessors have. And you,” she continued, taking his hand from where it had rested against her cheek and squeezing it. “Make it infinitely more bearable. Thank you,” she repeated.

Neji glanced down at their joined hands and Shiori swore she could see a faint blush dusting his pale face, even in the glow of the setting sun. “I should be thanking you,” he said, finally. “For showing me that it’s possible to accept your fate without hating it. Though I doubt I will manage such a feat.”

Shiori fought against the urge to hug him; she normally hated such displays, and she doubted Neji would appreciate it either, but it was so tempting to do whatever she could to chase away his anger and pain. She could take solace in the fact that her clan’s fate had been sealed generations ago; what solace could Neji have knowing that his clan chose, over and over, to perpetuate the torment of the Branch Family?

“You know I will help you, however I can,” she said, squeezing his hand one more time before reluctantly releasing it. 

Neji smiled at her and the pair continued their walk in companionable silence, enjoying the oncoming night. 

It was still early the next morning when Shiori made her way to the training ground where Kiyoko had decided they would meet to start training; too early to expect Kiyoko or Masaru to be there. But Shiori had woken determined to get genjutsu practice in before training with her teammates, so, stifling a yawn, she found a comfortable patch of grass and waited. This training ground was seldom used; so seldom, in fact, that it was partially overgrown and a favorite haunt of small animals and birds.

Shiori spread her grey jacket over the dewy grass to sit on as she watched as birds flitted from branch to branch overhead. Eventually, one of them fluttered to the ground in front of her, hunting for bugs in the overgrown grass. Shiori smiled when the bird looked toward her; in a moment of eye-contact, she caught it in a genjutsu. She slowly fed tendrils of chakra into the illusion, painting an image of it soaring through clear skies. 

“It doesn’t have to be unpleasant,” she whispered.

After making the bird think it was flying for a few minutes, Shiori concentrated on changing the illusion. Most genjutsu was relatively static; a set of images or scenarios that were predetermined by the user, like well rehearsed sheet music. Kagemura genjutsu was different. With enough practice, a Kagemura could alter their genjutsu in real time, adding improvisational notes to the composition at will. With some effort, Shiori switched the scene, convincing the bird that it had landed in a field full of easily gobbled bugs.

She watched as it hopped around, lunging for an insect that wasn’t there; its little beak opening and snapping shut on air.

“Did you drug that bird?”

A voice next to her broke Shiori’s concentration and released the bird from the illusion. She turned to find Shikamaru standing over her, looking between her and the very confused bird with a quizzical expression.

“Of course not,” Shiori answered, looking back at the bird as it chirped then flew away.

“Then what were you doing?” Shikamaru asked, plopping down on the grass beside her, clearly unconcerned with the morning dew.

“Practicing genjutsu,” Shiori responded.

“You were torturing the bird?” 

Shiori frowned at him; she knew he was teasing but she didn’t particularly appreciate it. “No,” she said flatly. “Genjutsu can be pleasant, it’s all in what you want the subject to see.”

Shikamaru shrugged. “The genjutsu you trapped me in wasn’t pleasant,” he said, clearly thinking back to the training exercise where the genin teams were pitted against each other trying to steal strips of cloth. “You dissolved into smoke then everything went dark. It was creepy.”

“Sorry,” Shiori said with a grimace. “I was in a hurry, I didn’t really take the time to think it out.”

“What, so that’s your default?” Shikamaru shot her an incredulous look.

Shiori shrugged and didn’t respond.

“Well, for future reference, next time you feel the need to trap me in a genjutsu, go with clouds,” he said, laying back on the grass and looking up toward the sky.

“Noted,” Shiori said with a small laugh. 

The two sat quietly, Shikamaru studying the clouds and Shiori hoping another bird would come by. She’d always gotten along well with Shikamaru, largely because he was too lazy to waste energy distrusting her and she found his antics in class with Kiba, Chouji, and Naruto generally amusing. The two had never really spent time together outside of class, but Shiori wasn’t particularly surprised to see him either. She and Kiyoko had seen him cloud gazing here with Chouji many times. 

Shiori sighed, it looked like the birds had found better hunting grounds.

“What’s with the sigh?” Shikamaru asked.

“I was hoping to get some genjutsu training in before Kiyoko and Masaru arrived, but the birds have caught wise.”

“You know, animal testing is unethical,” he said dryly.

Shiori couldn’t resist cracking a small smile. “I don’t see you volunteering, or anything.”

When he didn’t immediately respond, Shiori glanced at him and was surprised to see a contemplative look on his face. 

“You could get practice breaking out of a genjutsu,” Shiori offered. “I promise to make it a pleasant one.”

Shikamaru sighed but sat up and situated himself so he was sitting across from her. “I’d better not start hopping around like that bird.”

Shiori smiled and started gathering her chakra. “I promise you won’t.”

Shiori released Shikamaru from the genjutsu when she spotted Akira-sensei walking toward them.

“Bold, Shikamaru,” Akira-sensei said with a smirk. “Not a lot of people would willingly subject themselves to genjutsu.”

“He was  _ supposed _ to be trying to escape.”

Shikamaru shrugged and yawned. “It was a nice genjutsu, you were right.”

Shiori smiled, pleased she’d been successful in convincing him, even if she was a bit annoyed that he hadn’t tried harder to escape. 

“Well, I hope you enjoyed your relaxation time,” Akira-sensei said. “Asuma’s been looking for you, Shikamaru. And it’s time we got back to training, Shiori.”

“You say that like you didn’t just vanish for a week,” Shiori said before she could stop herself.

Shikamaru looked between the two, his eyes narrow. “A week? That’s around the time the break-in happened, isn’t it?”

Akira-sensei arched an eyebrow at him. “Asuma been telling secrets, hm? I’ll have to yell at him later.”

“What break in?” Shiori asked.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” Akira-sensei answered as she shooed Shikamaru away. “Go find Asuma and give him hell for me.”

Shikamaru chuckled and waved to Shiori before heading off, presumably to find his sensei.

“If that’s the reason you’ve been away for a week, I think it is something for me to worry about,” Shiori pressed.

“I haven’t been away,” Akira-sensei said. “I’ve been in the Village, and I’ve been checking up on you three more than you might think. Now, would you like to get some real genjutsu training done before Kiyoko and Masaru get here?”

Shiori frowned but nodded, arguing with Akira-sensei at this point wouldn’t get her anywhere. She’d just have to bring the matter up with Kiyoko later and let her friend’s supernatural sense for gossip uncover whatever Akira-sensei was hiding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos, we hope you're staying safe and healthy!


	15. Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV: Akira

Akira paced around the small living area of her apartment; there was considerably more room to do that since she’d cleaned up the mess left by the intruder and thrown away the remains of her desk. There, she’d found some of that silver lining Iruka was always going on about. She scowled, annoyed at the uncharitable thoughts toward her friend. He’d only been trying to help, just like always. 

With a disgusted noise, she stalked into the adjoining kitchen and put her kettle on the stove. Just as the water was beginning to boil, Kai appeared on her counter in a small puff of smoke.

“How are they?” Akira asked the scorpion as she prepared herself a cup of tea.

“Shiori hasn’t left her house in two days, though she seems to be taking good care of herself. She’s been studying, mostly. Masaru has been alternating between avoiding his mother and sister and finding reasons to stay close to them. Kiyoko has been running; a lot,” Kai sighed and Akira glanced at him. It wasn’t easy to tell when a scorpion was worried, but Akira had enough practice to tell that Kai was  _ very _ worried. “You should talk to them, Akira-san. I know you have other things to worry about, but they are your students.”

“I will talk to them, Kai,” Akira said. “But first I want to see what their coping mechanisms are for this sort of thing. They’re going to have more bad missions, if they stay in this life, and I need to know if they can cope with it on their own. I may not always be there to help them pick up the pieces.”

“But you are now,” his deep voice was disapproving and Akira frowned at him.

“And I’m keeping an eye on them, aren’t I?” She said, frowning in return. “Knowing where they instinctively go for comfort will help me decide how to help them cope better.”

“And it has nothing to do with your attention being diverted?” Kai gestured toward the corner of the living area, where her lab used to be.

Akira took a sip of her tea, shooting the scorpion a sullen look over the rim. “I am distracted, Kai,” she finally admitted. “But not so distracted that those three are completely out of mind. Which is why I want you to go back and keep an eye on them; let me know if anything changes.”

Kai rattled his tail at her and Akira smiled. When they were first getting used to each other, he would do that frequently as a threat and a warning to take him seriously. Now, it was his way of telling her that she was on thin ice, but he was with her.

There was a knock at her door and Kai vanished, presumably off to do as she requested. 

“It’s open,” Akira called, setting her empty tea cup down on the counter and refilling it.

She smiled at Kakashi as he shut the door behind himself and slipped off his shoes.

“Tea?” She offered.

“Please,” he responded.

“Did your ninken find anything?” She asked as she prepared more tea for them both. 

Kakashi shook his head. “They searched the village, but if your notes are still here, whoever took them has masked the scent.”

Akira sighed and set the tea at her table before flopping into a chair. “It was a long shot, but thanks for trying. And thank your ninken as well.”

Kakashi chuckled and took the seat across from her. “Pakkun’s fond of you, it didn’t take much effort to convince him to help.”

“Just Pakkun?” Akira asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Akino likes you too.”

Akira glared at Kakashi even as she fought the urge to smile at the teasing glint in his eye. 

“Thanks for the tea,” he said, ignoring her glare.

Akira knew better than to stare at the jounin as he lowered his mask to sip the tea. Though it was such a rare treat that she couldn’t resist indulging a bit; the man was so handsome, it would be a shame not to at least notice. In fact, it would be downright rude.

She finally convinced herself to look away from him and focused her attention on her own tea. It wasn’t until he chuckled again that she realized she’d been scowling at the cup.

“You might have to let this rest, Akira,” Kakashi said.

“How can I?” She responded. “Someone has the gall to try to kill me - and my students - then they break into my house and steal or destroy my work - how can I let this rest?”

“Because you may not have another choice; you’re no closer to figuring out who’s behind this than you were when you got back to the Village.”

Akira scowled again and sunk lower into her chair. She was pouting, brooding even, but she couldn’t make herself stop.

“I’m going to have to talk to my brother,” she said finally, the mere thought putting her into an even worse mood.

Kakashi shot her an inquisitive look and Akira let herself enjoy the novelty of getting to see the majority of his expression for once.

“I want his help to autopsy the shinobi that attacked me,” she explained, grateful that she’d left the preserved corpses in the care of Kai and his siblings so they hadn’t been lost in the break-in. “And he’d be in the best position to tell me if my suspicions are plausible.”

“What are your suspicions?”

Akira ran a hand through her hair and tugged on the ends; it wasn’t that she didn’t trust Kakashi, nothing could be further from the truth, she just didn’t want him to think she was being paranoid.

“Akasuna no Sasori might be behind this,” she said finally, her voice quiet.

“Sasori?” Kakashi repeated, frowning.

“It’s possible. All of the work that was taken or destroyed related to his toxins, and if anyone could alter an encrypted message from Suna without anyone catching on, it would be him.”

Kakashi bit his bottom lip, a habit of his that was usually concealed by his mask and one that Akira found far too distracting to be fair. He had lovely lips. “If he is behind this, you have a powerful enemy.”

Akira smiled and took a sip of her tea. “If I didn’t know better, Kakashi-senpai, I’d swear you were concerned for me,” she teased.

Kakashi drained his tea but didn’t pull his mask up. “You know I am,” he said, giving her an instructable look.

Akira looked down into her tea, not sure what to make of the look in his eye. “You’re sweet,” she said finally, grimacing internally at her own cowardice even as she looked back up at him and smirked. “How many people can say the great Hatake Kakashi is concerned about them?” 

“Keep up that attitude, and it will be one fewer,” Kakashi responded, pulling up his mask and finishing what Akira’s teasing had started; shutting down whatever truth had been threatening to come out between them. 

Akira pouted, pushing down her disappointment in herself. “Careful, or you’ll hurt my feelings.”

“And what about what you’ve been doing to my feelings?” He asked.

Akira looked up at him in surprise. “You mean I’ve been doing something besides making your life more interesting and your days brighter, Kakashi-senpai?” She asked, batting her eyelashes at him. “Do tell.”

Kakashi chuckled and stood, shaking his head as he headed for the door. “You’ll have to do better than that if you want me to talk about my feelings,” he said and Akira couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

“Challenge accepted,” she said and smirked when he let out on exasperated huff.

“See you,” Kakashi responded, waving over his shoulder at her and beating what Akira considered to be a hasty retreat.

Akira took a bracing breath and knocked on the door to her brother’s apartment. It wasn’t that Akira didn’t love her brother, she just didn’t always like him. And the last thing she needed right now was Kazuo being an ass. Which, of course, was his default setting.

The door slid open and Akira bit back a laugh; Kazuo’s chestnut brown hair was sticking up at wild angles and his blue eyes had that manic glint that could only mean she’d interrupted him in the middle of puzzling through a particularly difficult problem.

“What?” He snapped, halfway through his ‘greeting’ before he realized it was Akira at his door. “Oh, you’ve finally decided to come see me, have you?” He barreled on, moving out of the doorway so Akira could enter the apartment. “Do you think I enjoyed hearing from the Hokage that you’d nearly been assassinated?”

Akira scoffed, not buying his feigned concern for a second. “You and I both know you’re only annoyed because you hate being the second to get information,” she said, setting her shoes by the door. “And I wasn’t nearly assassinated, it was a sloppy attempt at best.”

“So you didn’t receive treatment at the hospital?”

Akira waved away the comment. “I’ve gotten worse wounds from training.”

“Admitting that you’re reckless isn’t the best defence,” Kazuo said, weaving through the stacks of scrolls and books that littered his living area and heading toward the kitchen counter. Where a normal person would prepare their meals, Kazuo was preparing a new variation on a sealing jutsu. And people thought Akira was strange.

“Anyway,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “Have you finally swallowed your pride and come to ask for help?”

“Don’t make me regret coming to visit you,” Akira said, shooting him a glare that he ignored.

“So what do you need?”

Akira showed him the two balls of amber that held the bodies of the ninja who attacked her. “I was hoping you’d help me autopsy these two,” she said.

Kazuo frowned thoughtfully and took one of the balls from her, holding it up to the light and squinting at the miniaturized body inside. “You’ve done plenty of autopsies before, why do you need my help?”

“Because it’s always good to have another pair of eyes,” Akira said. “And you’re more useful to me than whomever Ranka would assign to assist me.”

Kazuo glanced at her and sighed. “Fine, but you have to let me borrow the cobalt twins.”

Akira arched an eyebrow, thinking of the cobalt blue scorpions that had sealed the corpses in amber. “Why?”

“Because I think their sealing techniques could be helpful in an experiment I want to conduct.”

“I can ask them to help.”

Kazuo sighed again, apparently still annoyed that Akira didn’t treat her summoning contracts like servants. “Fine. Let’s go.”

The bodies yielded little useful information; even with Kazuo’s remarkable eye for detail. The only thing of real interest were miniscule needles buried into the hippocampus of each shinobi. Akira grew more frustrated as the autopsies went on; she hadn’t expected the examination to yield all the answers to her questions, but she had hoped they would answer a few.

“It’s a shame Inoichi couldn’t get anything from their memories,” Kazuo said as they finished.

“It is,” Akira agreed. “And unusual, he can usually find something but there was nothing to indicate who gave them the order to attack me.”

“I wonder if these had anything to do with that.” Kazuo held up the dish containing the tiny needles they’d found. 

Akira shrugged and sighed.

“I’ll ask Inoichi if he can perform his mind transmission technique on a brain that’s been removed,” Kazuo said. “He might have more luck now that the needles are gone.”

Akira nodded and sighed again.

“Oh that’s enough,” Kazuo said, rolling his eyes. “I haven’t seen you this disappointed since I stole your birthday presents when you were six.”

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten or forgiven you for that,” Akira snapped. “I’m just frustrated; and I don’t have my work on Sasori’s toxins to distract me now.”

“I can give you the samples I have left,” Kazuo offered.

Akira smiled, it was a very sweet gesture, and a risky one. That Kazuo was willing to offer at all showed that he was actually worried about her wellbeing. “No,” she shook her head. “Keep them safe for now, I want to know who I’m dealing with before I give them a reason to try to steal from me again. If we lose your samples, we’re done.”

Kazuo nodded. “Good to know you haven’t lost your sense along with your patience.”

Akira rolled her eyes and headed toward the door. “For that, you can finish cleaning this up. I need to hit something.”

Akira kicked at the training dummy; running through everything she could remember about the assassination attempt and the break-in. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that Sasori was somehow involved but she couldn’t point to anything stronger than her intuition to prove it. As much as Akira could trust her instincts, she couldn’t reasonably expect anyone else to.

“Hey,” Asuma walked toward her, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Akira looked wistfully at the smoke, if there was ever a time to give into a craving, it was now. “Kazuo said you were looking for me?”

Akira frowned, her confusion at his statement almost chasing away her desire to steal one of his cigarettes. “I didn’t-” she broke off with a laugh. “Oh, that ass.”

“What?”

“I told him I needed to hit something.”

Asuma rolled his eyes. “So he sent me to be your punching bag. Good to know he’s still as annoying as ever.”

“That’ll never change,” Akira said. 

“So, why’d you need to hit something?” Asuma offered her a cigarette and Akira shook her head; she was tempted, but she didn’t need the added shame of losing to a craving to make the day more frustrating. He thankfully put his cigarette out and put the butt in his pocket, no need to tease her with something she was still trying to give up. 

“Where do I begin?” She asked, leaning against the training dummy. 

Asuma let out a low whistle as Akira finished telling him about everything that had happened since the ‘easy first mission’ for her team went sideways. “Sounds like you need a vacation,” he said.

“Like I ever get to go on vacation,” Akira said. “And even if I did, I’m sure I’d end up neck-deep in a crisis anyway.”

“Probably, you’re a real magnet for trouble, aren’t you?”

“Apparently,” Akira said with a shrug. “So how’s your team doing?” 

“Not bad; Ino’s a handful, Choji’s going to eat me into bankruptcy, and Shikamaru’s the laziest genius I’ve ever met, but I can’t really complain knowing what your life’s been like.”

Akira laughed. “They seem like a good team though; I saw Inoichi today and he sounded pleased with Ino’s progress.”

Asuma nodded thoughtfully and Akira could recognize the smile he was trying to hide. Asuma was proud of his team, and of himself, but he didn’t want to overshadow Akira’s annoyance with his happiness. 

“Of course,” Akira said, smirking. “Kurenai’s got a good team, too.”

Asuma’s face immediately flushed and Akira cackled, it was too easy. 

Before her friend could sputter a reply, a messenger bird circled overhead, summoning them to the Hokage’s residence. 

Akira stood with Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma before the Hokage. Jounin and chunin were gathered behind them, all waiting for the Hokage to explain why he’d called them all together. Not that it was particularly difficult to guess. Every jounin in charge of a genin team was present, as well as a handful of Academy teachers - including Iruka. Akira glanced past Kakashi, toward Kurenai and Asuma. They must have guessed too; they must be weighing whether to nominate their teams so early into their training. 

Akira had never actually participated in a chunin exam; she’d been promoted in the field. But she’d watched them, seen friends and classmates participate, it was a grueling challenge, to be sure.

“All right,” the Hokage said and Akira’s attention snapped back to him. “I’ll announce it officially. One week from today, the chunin exams will begin. Those of you with rookie teams, step forward.”

Akira stepped forward with the others, her face a careful mask; blank aside from the slight smile she instinctively hid behind.

“Akira, Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma,” the Hokage said. “Do you have any students you would like to nominate for the exams? Akira, we’ll start with you.”

She took one more step forward. “I, Hayashi Akira, nominate Fujita Masaru, Takeda Kiyoko, and Kagemura Shiori for the Chunin Exams,” she said before stepping back. If nothing else, they were certainly ready to try.

It came as no great surprise to Akira when Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma all nominated their teams as well; though the rest of the gathered ninja seemed taken aback. Iruka stepped forward the instant Asuma stopped speaking, worry clearly etched on his face.

“Hokage-sama, forgive me, but I have to say something,” he started and Akira bit back a sigh. She understood his concern, but he wasn’t going to win this fight. “I taught these students at the Academy,” he continued. “Every one of them is talented, but they aren’t ready for this yet.”

“Iruka-” Akira started, turning toward her friend.

“They need more experience,” he continued, ignoring Akira.

“I became a chunin when I was much younger than Naruto,” Kakashi said, getting right to the heart of Iruka’s concern.

“Naruto is different from you,” Iruka snapped. His normally kind demeanor thrown aside in his concern for his former student. “Are you trying to ruin him?” 

“They always complain during important missions,” Kakashi said. “Putting them into a dangerous situation might be interesting. Ruining them is also interesting.”

Akira glared at Kakashi; she could read the dry humor in his voice but she knew Iruka couldn’t. 

“What did you say?” Iruka asked, torn between enraged and incredulous.

“That was a joke,” Kakashi deadpanned.

“Iruka,” Akira said, stepping between the two. “This is an excellent teaching opportunity for them.” She restrained herself from ‘accidentally’ elbowing Kakashi in the stomach, but it was a close thing. “They’ve been training hard and they want to prove themselves. We would do them a disservice by not giving them that option. They wouldn’t be required to enter, if they don’t feel that they are ready.”

Iruka frowned but it was Kakashi who spoke up first. “Iruka,” he said, his voice filled with a cool tone that Akira could only assume he’d used during his time as an ANBU captain. “I understand what you’re saying; you must be upset. However, don’t interfere. They are no longer your students. They are my subordinates now.”

Iruka opened his mouth to argue but the Hokage stopped him with a gesture. “I understand your concern,” the Hokage said. “So, we’ll put the rookie genin through a special preliminary exam.”

Akira resisted the temptation to swat Kakashi and Iruka both upside the head; her team was  _ not _ going to appreciate whatever the Hokage had in mind. 

“Hatake Kakashi,” Akira snapped, following the silver-haired jounin out of the Hokage’s residence. 

He turned and waited for her to join him, looking confused. “Akira?”

“What was that with Iruka?” She asked, gesturing back toward the building.

Kakashi stiffened and turned away. “It was none of his business; they’re my students now. He mothers them too much.”

Akira sighed and ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the ends to vent some of her frustration. “Iruka is a skilled sensei,” she said. “He has been teaching your team for years and given that they’re the first team to pass your little test, you might consider listening to him when he speaks.” She poked him in the chest as she spoke, too annoyed with him to consider what a mother-hen she must look like now.

Kakashi took a step back, clearly not amused to have his sternum poked. “I didn’t need another sermon from him on how his special students need special care.”

“Nor did you need to ‘joke’ about ruining them or talk to him like he was a child,” Akira said; the urge to swat him upside the head growing stronger. 

Kakashi took a deep breath and some of the tension left his shoulders. “I may have gone too far,” he admitted. “But Iruka has to understand that they’re not Academy students any longer. Both of our teams have already been on life threatening missions; the sooner Iruka accepts that reality, the better.”

It was Akira’s turn to take a deep breath; she understood where Kakashi was coming from. The reality that any of them - including their students, including Naruto whom Iruka loved as a little brother - could die without warning was something she and Kakashi had come to terms with during years of hard service. If Kakashi’s time as an ANBU captain was anything like Akira’s time working with the Interrogation Force, she could understand why Iruka’s innocence was so hard to deal with.

“Iruka isn’t like us,” she said finally, looking up into Kakashi’s face and seeing a hint of regret there. “He hasn’t had our training, or seen the things we’ve seen. Most of the people in this Village haven’t; and that’s a good thing.” She put a hand on his arm, preemptively trying to take the sting out of what she was about to say. “We have to adapt to them; you aren’t ANBU anymore, you can’t expect those around you to think like you do.”

“It wasn’t my intention to upset Iruka,” Kakashi said quietly. 

“Then apologize to him,” Akira said. “And don’t do it again,” she added, swatting his arm.

Kakashi chuckled and rubbed his arm where she’d hit him. “You sound like someone had to have this talk with you as well.”

It was Akira’s turn to laugh and she shook her head. “Yeah, and you wouldn’t believe who.”

Kakashi tilted his head quizzically and Akira rolled her eyes. “Kazuo,” she admitted. “Though my brother’s motivations were much less noble than mine. He wanted to make sure I could still play the role of an innocent villager in case he needed me to spy on someone for him.”

Kakashi looked at her, a teasing glint once more in his eye. “I doubt anyone would mistake you for innocent.”

“Kakashi-senpai,” Akira said with a surprised laugh. “I’m not sure I appreciate what you’re implying.”

Kakashi laughed and reached out to fix some of her hair that she’d mussed earlier in her frustration. Akira’s heart started pounding rebelliously as he carefully fixed the loose strand of hair.

“So, should I tell Takara-san that you have a special interest in Iruka?” He teased.

“You know he’s my best friend,” Akira responded, her own teasing ruined slightly by the blush she could feel growing on her cheeks.

“That explains why you attacked me,” Kakashi chuckled.

“I didn’t attack you,” Akira said. “And you’re my friend as well; who better to talk sense into you than me?”

“Friend,” Kakashi repeated softly. “Of course.”

Akira’s breath caught at the almost wistful tone in Kakashi’s voice; did he intend to imply that he wanted her to see him as more than a friend? Before she could even begin to formulate that question, Asuma and Kurenai came out of the Hokage’s residence and joined them. 

“Hey, Kakashi,” Asuma started; if he noticed how close Kakashi and Akira were standing - or how quickly they stepped back from each other - he didn’t say anything. “Some reason you decided to be an ass to Iruka?”

Kakashi sighed and Akira laughed. “I told you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, we hope you're doing well! Thank you all for the comments and kudos, we look forward to them so much!


	16. Strangers arrive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Takeda Kiyoko

Kiyoko massaged a tender spot on her shoulder as she walked home. Akira-sensei was back and forcing them all to train. And she had been quite merciless this morning, as if she’d thought they’d just been relaxing on a beach this whole time. She'd had the group practicing the temporary paralysis jutsu and the body flicker jutsu, something Kiyoko was sure was beyond their levels. Whenever they couldn’t do it though, it was sparring practice or push-ups or something like that. 

The only reward for figuring out the paralysis jutsu had been to try and capture the other two with it, while simultaneously dodging their attacks using body flicker. Wicked woman. She was certainly kicking up their training. Kiyoko was exhausted but it's a good kind of exhaustion; if there is such a thing. Deep down she thought it was good to be training. And Akira-sensei was teaching them harder stuff, she must have thought they had grown, which was also nice.

Kiyoko turned a corner and froze, her eyes widening at the sight in front of her. Sakura and Naruto were there, as well as two little Academy students. But what really grabbed her attention were the two ninja wearing Sunagakure headbands. One of whom, a boy in black with kabuki-like face paint, was holding the Hokage's grandson by the collar a few feet off the ground.

“Konohamaru-chan!” The little girl with orange hair a constant blush yelled from where she was hiding behind Naruto.

Kiyoko watched Konohamaru struggle against the Suna shinobi's grip, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. Naruto and Sakura stood by, helpless. Though with all Naruto's yelling, she thought he'd be actually trying to do something more productive to help. So Kiyoko dove in to help, of course. 

“Hey! Stop that!” She shouted, moving in.

Something moved at the corner of her eye and she glanced over to see Sasuke standing in a tree, a stone ready in his hand. Kiyoko didn’t really care what that jerk was doing, she just jumped in. 

As she moved in, Sasuke threw the stone, hitting the Suna shinobi on the wrist. Which luckily allowed Kiyoko to catch Konohamaru just as the Suna shinobi dropped him.

“You okay?” Kiyoko asked Konohamaru as she jumped back, out of the reach of the Suna shinobi.

He nodded and she set him down before he could get snot on her green tunic. 

The Suna shinobi cursed. “I hate stuck-up brats like you,” he said. Though Kiyoko wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or Sasuke, or maybe just the kids.

“Well, I hate bullies like you!” Kiyoko stood in front of him, crossing her arms

Kabuki-face-paint-guy glared and unstrapped a bundle tied to his back. 

The other ninja from Suna - a girl with light blonde hair in four pigtails – stepped forward. “Kankuro, you're going to use Karasu?” 

“These brats are pissing me off.”

Kiyoko moved to a more defensive posture, but didn’t reach for her toolbelt just yet. She didn’t really want a fight, but she wasn’t going to let this bully hurt anyone here.

“Kankuro,” a quiet voice caused everyone to freeze and Kiyoko glanced back toward the tree Sasuke was standing in. Next to him, standing upside down on a branch was a short boy with vibrant red hair and a red kanji on his forehead.

There was something about his voice and his presence, the way Sasuke startled when he suddenly appeared… It was unsettling, to say the least.

“G-Gaara,” the Suna shinobi – Kankuro – said, stuttering and stepping back. “They started it.”

Kiyoko glared at him. She hadn’t seen what had started this all but she very much doubted some sweet little kids started a big problem. 

“Stop,” Gaara said, “Or I'll kill you.”

Kiyoko’s eyes widened in shock. This morning Masaru had said he was going to kill her when she’d thrown mud at him and he wasn’t fast enough to avoid it with the body flicker, so it went right in his face. But even when he’d yelled that at her in annoyance at the training field, Kiyoko knew he didn't mean it. But Gaara… he meant it. His voice sent a chill up Kiyoko’s spine.

“Hey, I'm sorry, Gaara,” Kankuro continued. The arrogant bully from a moment ago had vanished and in his place was a scared kid. “I was at fault.”

“Forgive him,” Gaara said, his dangerous eyes sweeping over everyone. “He can be hot-headed.”

Sand twined around Gaara, obscuring him from vision one moment and transporting him to his teammate's side the next.

“Let's go,” he said to his teammates.

As the Suna shinobi turned to leave, Sakura stepped forward.

“Wait,” she said. “The Land of Fire and the Land of Wind are allies, but a shinobi must have permission to enter a Hidden Village, what are you doing here?”

The kunoichi turned and rolled her eyes rudely. Kiyoko noticed that they were similar in colour to Gaara's and she wondered if they were related. 

“You really don't know?” She asked and pulled a card out of her pocket. “Here's my travel pass. We're here for the chunin exams.”

The chunin exams! Kiyoko was momentarily distracted as she thought with excitement that the exams were going to take place.

“Wait,” Sasuke said, jumping down from the tree as the three Suna ninja started walking away again. “What's your name?”

The blonde turned around. “Me?” She asked.

“No, the one with the gourd on his back,” Sasuke said.

“Gaara of the Desert,” the boy responded. “And you?”

“Sasuke Uchiha.” He said with his usual flair, but also with a sort of… hunger. Eagerness. Kiyoko frowned at the way Sasuke sounded so excited about the possibility of a fight. 

“I bet you want to know my name too!” Naruto said.

“No,” Gaara responded, turning and leading his team away.

“Hn,” Sasuke said. “Things are getting interesting.”

“Things are going to change, that’s for sure,” Kiyoko said before she turned to lecture the children. 

The satisfaction with a good workout Kiyoko had felt earlier was all but gone, replaced with a sense of unease. She was excited for the chunin exams, even if her team didn’t compete, the exams were still fun to watch. Part of her was afraid Akira-sensei would want them to participate, the fight would be hard and they’d probably be beaten horribly. But she also hoped they could do it. It would show how much they’d grown, it would also be a really valuable experience for them. 

  
  


Kiyoko wasn’t all that surprised when Akira-sensei showed up at her house later that evening. Kiyoko grinned and let her in. 

“Hello, Akira-sensei! Is it true? Are the chunin exams already happening?” She grinned and showed Akira-sensei in for a cup of tea.

Nobody else was home right now, both her parents were busy and her little sis was still off working on her apprenticeship. 

Akira-sensei laughed, “Of course you already know.” She smiled.

“Please sit, I’ll get you some tea,” Kiyoko said, running around and getting a plate of biscuits and some tea set out for her sensei. 

Her large orange tabby started curling around Akira-sensei’s feet, purring happily. Nana, the soft grey kitty just watched from her basket near the table, clearly judging Momo for being so friendly with strangers. 

“Thank you,” Akira-sensei said to Kiyoko and picked up a biscuit while the tea brewed. “So what are your thoughts on it, Kiyoko?” 

“Well, it could be really helpful.” Kiyoko smiled. She didn’t want to admit she was conflicted. 

“You can go for it, if you want. No pressure, no requirements. But if you think you're ready, you should try.” Akira smiled a little and accepted the mug of tea that Kiyoko filled and passed to her. 

“That’s not really fair, sensei.” Kiyoko frowned. “Shouldn’t you tell us if we’re ready?” 

“Well, I recommended you. I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t think the challenge would be good for you, and you were up for it.” She winked and sipped her tea. 

Akira-sensei put down a piece of paper on the table. It was just a simple thing, a square with your name and picture on it and a one-line recommendation from Akira-sensei.

Kiyoko beamed when she saw it. “Really?” She said, reading the one line eagerly. 

‘I, Hayashi Akira, approve my genin student, Takeda Kiyoko, for the chunin exam’

“Wow.” Kiyoko said happily. 

Akira-sensei chuckled and took a second biscuit.

“What do you think I should do?” Kiyoko asked her.

“Oh come now,” Akira-sensei chuckled, “We both know what you are going to do.” 

Kiyoko couldn’t help a small smile that crept across her face. “Yeah,” she nodded. 

Akira-sensei laughed and sipped her tea.

“But I have a problem.” Kiyoko frowned.

“Oh?” Akira-sensei asked.

“Well, everyone else on the team has a real skill… so far all I’m really good at is taijutsu. I’ve seen the exams in the past and unless I was good like Guy-sensei or something, I doubt I could get far.” Kiyoko frowned. Her dad was super fast and it made him really good, but until she got to his level of being able to control her speed she wasn’t going to have much she could actually do.

Akira-sensei hummed for a moment. “First of all, don’t doubt taijutsu. It’s a skill that sometimes shinobi overlook as they try to focus on flashier things. But without a good sense of taijutsu we’d all be lost. Second, we’ll be working on some more techniques in the coming days. If you’re looking for another skillset to help you balance out, then just apply yourself. You’re lucky because you have two jounin parents. There’s nothing saying you’ll be exactly like them. But you might want to find out what they are good at and see if you can emulate them.” 

Kiyoko smiled, “Talk to my parents? This is the kind of homework I don’t mind at last.” She giggled. 

  
  


Kiyoko eagerly ran for the training ground the next day, excited to get started on training. Of course, Akira-sensei wasn’t there yet, but Kiyoko was learning to expect that. 

Masaru and Shiori were already there and smiled when Kiyoko ran up to them. 

“Good morning,” Masaru said with a wave.

“Hi,” Shiori said, and Kiyoko tackled her with a hug, sitting down next to them. 

“Are you ready for the Chunin exams?” Kiyoko let go of Shiori and smiled at them.

“I’m ready,” Shiori said, sounding serious. 

“Uh, did either of you get attacked last night?” Masaru asked, his tone indicating how ridiculous he found the question.

“Actually, yes,” Shiori said with a soft frown.

“What? You guys too?” Kiyoko said.

“Yeah, I was just walking home from the store and this weird guy jumped me,” Masaru said. “Kept saying things like he was trying to convince me not to take the exams.”

“The same thing happened to me!” Kiyoko said, confused. “Well, I wasn't walking home from the store but...”

Shiori nodded and shared a similar experience. “It's strange,” She said. “Do you think that was part of the exam?”

Masaru shrugged, “Maybe, but we haven't technically agreed to participate yet.”

“Yeah, but we're all going to,” Kiyoko said confidently. “We are all going to, right?”

Shiori nodded.

“Yeah,” Masaru said. “I was talking to Emi about it last night, I think we have to enter as a team, anyway.”

“Did she tell you anything else about it?” Shiori asked, probably hoping to learn more.

“Not much, only that there would be a written test, some kind of survival test, and a tournament sort of thing,” Masaru said with a shrug. “She wouldn't give me details but she figured it would only be fair to tell me that much, since there will be people there who have taken the exams before.”

“What about your parents, Kiyoko, did they tell you anything?” Shiori asked her. 

“Nope!” Kiyoko shook her head, “They said things had changed since their time and it didn’t matter what they went through.” She rolled her eyes.

“Any chance Akira-sensei will be more forthcoming?” Masaru asked but they all shook their heads simultaneously. No chance there. 

“Well,” Kiyoko said, standing up and grinning. “We'd better not wait for Akira-sensei, then. We'll need to train as hard as we can!”

“Okay! I’ve been learning a new jutsu, so I think I’ll have some surprises for you.” Shiroi smiled. 

“Oh? What is it?” Kiyoko asked eagerly. 

“I think it's one of the jutsu designed by Isamu Kagemura; he was the first one sent to Konoha after the treaty. Apparently he spent most of his time pouting, writing about how unfair his life was and occasionally creating jutsu.” Shiori smiled and rolled her eyes. “We've all handled captivity a little differently.”

Masaru grimaced and Kiyoko looked sadly at her friend, realizing how bitter sounded. 

“Sorry,” Masaru looked away. “If you don't want to talk about it...”

“I don't mind,” Shiori said, throwing a small rock at him and chuckling. “I mean, we're teammates, right?”

Masaru caught the rock with a laugh and nodded.

“So, what do you want to know?” Shiori asked him. 

He tossed the rock back to Shiori and she carefully manipulated her chakra, pushing just enough on the rock that as it got closer it slowed it to a crawl.

“How many Kagemura have come to Konoha?” Masaru asked after a moment of thinking.

“Four,” Kiyoko answered eagerly, grabbing the rock out of the air. 

Shiori smiled and nodded, “Isamu was the first, then Aiko. Apparently Aiko was pretty happy here. The third, Hanae, died young. And I'm the fourth.”

“Is it difficult?” Masaru asked. “Living here, I mean. Away from your family.”

Shiori shrugged. “I've been here longer than I was there.”

“We’re her family now.” Kiyoko hugged Shiori again.

Shiori laughed, “Okay, let’s get started training. We’ll play twenty questions later.” 

They all got up and began their warmups. Kiyoko had been eager to show off her new kicks and had managed to rope them into the fight. When Akira-sensei finally showed up Kiyoko promptly took advantage of her friend's distraction to sweep Shiori to the ground and gave Masaru a hit to the shoulder that sent him down as well. 

“I win!” Kiyoko clapped for herself and giggled while her teammates grumbled. 

“Okay you three,” Akira-sensei said with a chuckle. “I appreciate your energy, now come here.” 

Kiyoko offered Shiori and Masaru hands up and they both gave devilish grins before they pulled her down with them. 

Kiyoko laughed and Shiori and Masaru both chuckled.

“Really, don’t keep your sensei waiting,” Akira said with mock disapproval. 

They all chuckled and got up together. 

The three of them gathered in front of Akira-sensei. “What are we going to learn today?” Shiori sounded eager. 

Akira-sensei smiled and she held up three squares of paper. “I recommended you three for the Chunin exams because I believe you're ready to give it a try; however, you'll be at a disadvantage since you haven't been out of the Academy that long. We've only got six days before the exams begin and I intend to press you to your limits in that time. Are you ready?”

The three of them nodded solemnly and Akira-sensei smiled.

“Good.” She handed each of them a piece of paper. “Each person naturally has an affinity for one of the five basic chakra natures; this paper will react differently depending on what chakra affinity it comes into contact with. I want you three to focus your chakra on the paper.”

Kiyoko drew in a breath and did as she was told, pushing a small bit of chakra into the paper, her teammates doing the same.

To her right, Masaru's paper crumbled away like loosely packed soil and to her left, Shiori’s paper became damp and fell limply between her fingers. Kiyoko’s paper split in half. 

For a moment she was worried she’d done something wrong, slicing the paper somehow. But Akira-sensei nodded in satisfaction. 

Akira-sensei sighed then as she looked at the strips, but there was a smile on her face. “You three can't be similar in any way, can you?”

  
  


“What does this mean?” Kiyoko asked, looking at the papers again.

“It means that you, Shiori, and Masaru have affinities for wind, water and earth, respectively,” Akira-sensei answered. “Learning jutsu that corresponds to your natural affinity will come easier than learning other jutsu. I was hoping that at least two of you would have the same affinity but I guess not.”

“What's your affinity?” Masaru asked.

Akira-sensei grinned and took out a fourth piece of paper. It ignited in a flash before disintegrating into ash. “Fire,” she said. “But don't worry, I know more than enough jutsu in the other natures to train you.”

She looked appraisingly at the three of her students before motioning to Kiyoko. “Okay, we'll start with you,” she said. “Masaru, Shiori, while I work with Kiyoko I want the two of you practicing your chakra control. Try to connect with your affinity.”

Shiori and Masaru nodded and Akira-sensei led Kiyoko a short distance away.

Akira-sensei smiled at Kiyoko, “You used that wind jutsu during the fight pretty naturally. I wasn’t surprised by your result.” 

Kiyoko smiled at her. “That’s right!” She hadn’t realized yet how she’d always been able to pick up wind ninjutsu easier.

“I know you were worried about having enough skills to win in the chunin fights. But trust me when I say, wind release is one of the most powerful nature forms. Also one of the rarest.” 

Kiyoko’s eyes lit up and she grinned. Rare and powerful? It was a dream come true. All her years in the academy she regretted she didn’t come from a powerful old family that had fancy jutsus. Even Masaru came from a long line of medical ninja. 

Akira-sensei laughed at the pleasure in Kiyoko’s eyes. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s a long hard road to learning what will suit you best. So for now, we’ll start on a variant of what you already know..” 

“Masaru!” Akira-sensei yelled from where she'd been training Kiyoko. “You're up!”

Masaru smiled as he walked past Kiyoko and Kiyoko high fived him. She ran up to Shiori and hugged her.

“That was awesome!” Kiyoko said, collapsing on the grass next to Shiori.

“What did you learn?” Shiori asked, laughing at her enthusiasm.

“Let me show you,” Kiyoko said, springing to her feet while pulling Shiori up with her. “Okay,” she said, positioning Shiori and then running about five feet away. “Brace yourself.”

Shiori chuckled and struck a strong stance. “Like this?” 

“Yep!” Kiyoko grinned and clapped her hands together. 

A massive wall of wind went flying toward Shiori. She held her arms up in front of her face and she stayed upright, but she was pushed backward a full foot.

“Isn't that great?!” Kiyoko said when the wind died down.

“Yeah,” Shiori smiled, re-tying her ponytail which had blown out. “That was cool.”

“I'm totally going to blow the competition away!” Kiyoko said with a giggle.

“Was that a pun?” Shiori rolled her eyes.

Kiyoko's giggles gave way to full-blown cackling and she flung herself back into the grass, grinning to herself.

“You think the other rookies will be in the exams?” Kiyoko asked as Shiori came and sat next to her.

Shiori shrugged. “I imagine they'll want to be.”

“I'm looking forward to going against some of them.” Kiyoko grinned.

“Who?” Shiori asked curiously.

Kiyoko laughed. “Well, most of them, to be honest. Not Hinata, I mean, you can't go up against someone like her and not feel like a bit of a jerk; she's just so sweet. And maybe not Shino, his bugs are just creepy...” She shuddered. “Maybe not Choji either, but that's kind of the same as Hinata, he just doesn't seem to like fighting.”

“Unless it's over food,” Shiori added, remembering the few times they’d been to barbecue with Shikamaru and Choji.

“Yeah,” Kiyoko agreed. “Getting between Choji and the last chip is just scary.” She laughed. “I'm even kind of excited to go up against you and Masaru, just to see where we stand, of course.”

“Uh-huh,” Shiori said, giving her some side-eye. “Of course.”

“Hey, don't look so concerned,” Kiyoko says with a grin. “You know I couldn’t do anything to disrupt our team.”

“Shiori!” Akira-sensei finally called, motioning her over.

“Have fun!” Kiyoko called after Shiori.

Masaru came back and fell to the ground, slightly out of breath. 

“What did she do to you?” Kiyoko looked over him. 

“She wanted me to learn the Earth Wall. But that shit is not as easy as she made it look.” 

Kiyoko laughed and patted Masaru’s curls. “Sorry.”

She watched Akira-sensei teach Shiori how to shoot water from her mouth; which looked a little gross, but seemed kinda cool. 

“You’ve all done well.” Akira-sensei said, bringing Shiori back. “Drill these techniques today. Then we’ll work on making combinations for you to do as a team.” 

Kiyoko grinned. If they could manage this in a day, how much would they improve before the exams start in a week?

The week passed too quickly, and Kiyoko squeezed Shiori and Masaru’s hands as she looked up at the building for the first exam. She was wearing her most comfortable white leggings and green tunic, her hair up in a braided bun again. But she had butterflies in her stomach and she felt ice in her boots almost.

Akira-sensei patted them on the back and gave them all a small shove. “Remember,” she said with a smile. “Play nice with the other kids, no fighting. Unless the other kids want to fight, then kick their butts.”

Kiyoko, Masaru, and Shiori exchanged incredulous looks as their sensei grinned.

“Uh, thanks?” Masaru said.

Akira-sensei's grin faded and she fixed all of them with a serious look. “Do you need a hug?”

“We don't,” Masaru said, shaking his head and pulled his hand away from Kiyoko’s grasp.

Akira-sensei laughed. “Oh come on, lighten up. You're all going to do fine. Now get going, or you'll be late.”

She pushed them harder toward the doors, smiling widely. Or was it maniacally? Kiyoko had yet to be sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe and healthy everyone. <3 thank you all for your continued support


	17. New Tricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Kagemura Shiori

“We definitely have the strangest sensei,” Masaru muttered as they walked into the building.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Shiori responded, catching a glimpse of Neji and his team in the crowd. 

“There’s a lot of people here,” Kiyoko said, looking around and linking arms with Shiori.

“Not getting nervous, are you?” Masaru teased.

“Try excited,” she responded with her signature grin. “Come on!”

She grabbed his hand and dragged him, and Shiori, forward through the crowd, ignoring the annyoned calls of the people she elbowed out of her way. Shiori didn’t bother trying to resist; when Kiyoko was nervous, it was best to let her hide behind over-the-top enthusiasm.

“Come on, come on, come on,” Kiyoko said, pushing her teammates into the exam room. 

“Kiyoko,” Masaru said, once again pulling his hand from hers. “Take a deep breath.”

Shiori glanced around the room, her face carefully expressionless as she took in the large group of genin gathered there. Most were unfamiliar to her; though there were a few she recognized by sight, if not by name. 

Three ninja wearing Sunagakure headbands caught her eye and she leaned into Kiyoko. “Are those the three you told me about?” She asked. Even as she spoke, the redhead seemed to sense her gaze and locked eyes with her. At first, all Shiori could see there was apathy; no hint of emotion or ambition, just existence. 

“Yeah,” Kiyoko answered, tugging on the sleeve of Masaru’s sweatshirt and drawing his attention to them as well.

Shiori frowned, there was something else in those eyes hidden beneath the apathy, but she couldn’t tell what it was.

“Well, aren’t they intimidating,” Masaru said. “You said they were bullying Konohamaru?”

Kiyoko nodded, glaring toward them.

“Takes real tough guys to harass kids,” Masaru muttered, rolling his eyes.

The door opened behind them and Shiori just managed to tear her attention away from the Suna-nin in time to avoid getting run into by Naruto.

“Oh, Kiyoko, Masaru, Shiori,” Naruto said with a grin. “You’re here too?”

“Oh joy,” Masaru muttered under his breath when he spotted Sasuke.

Shiori and Kiyoko exchanged a curious look; they’d been meaning to ask him about his dislike for the Uchiha but kept forgetting.

“Oh Sasuke-kun!” Ino pushed past them and jumped on Sasuke. “I’ve missed you,” she said, hanging off his shoulders.

“Here we go,” Masaru said as Sakura started yelling at Ino.

“Oh, Shiori-chan,” Kiyoko said, imitating Ino and throwing her arms around Shiori. “I’ve missed you so much!”

Shiori was torn between amusement and mortification as the attention of the entire room focused on the group of rookie genin assembled by the door. “Stop it,” she said, trying to escape Kiyoko’s grasp.

“Looks like all the rookies are here,” Kiba said, walking up with his team just as Shiori managed to free herself. “Wonder what kind of chance we have, hey Sasuke?”

Sasuke scoffed. “You’re pretty confident, Kiba.”

“We’ve been training like hell,” Kiba said, gesturing to Hinata and Shino.

“Just you wait, Kiba,” Kiyoko said with a grin.

“You’re not going to win this time, Kiyoko,” Kiba responded.

“Hey,” an unfamiliar voice interrupted their boasting. “You’re the rookies, right?”

Shiori looked over to find a young man with glasses and grey hair walking toward them. 

“You might want to calm down,” he said with a friendly smile. “You’re drawing a lot of attention.”

“Who are you?” Kiyoko asked.

“Oh, I’m Yakushi Kabuto, nice to meet you.”

Shiori watched him closely as he offered to share some information on the other gennin with them. Sasuke, in particular, was interested in Rock Lee and the redheaded ninja from Suna - Gaara. Kabuto also shared information on the Villages participating, as well as the number of participants. As she listened, Shiori thought she could see something reflected in the young man’s eyes that set her one edge, though she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She blinked and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the sensation. Was this a side-effect of Isamu’s jutsu she’d been learning? His journal had warned that it could be unpredictable, at first.

“What is it?” Kiyoko whispered, quickly noticing Shiori’s discomfort.

Shiori took Masaru and Kiyoko’s arms and nonchalantly led them a few steps away from the group, creating a small but noticeable separation between them and the other genin. 

“We need to be more careful,” she said quietly, not mentioning the odd feeling she got off Kabuto - or Gaara from Suna. “We look like easy prey.”

“There are more people here than I was expecting,” Masaru whispered. “I couldn’t begin to guess all their levels.”

Kiyoko opened her mouth to respond when the team from Otogakure sped toward the group of rookies.

“They’re fast,” she gasped and Shiori glanced at her. Kiyoko was proud of her speed, and though it wasn’t her only talent, she tended to focus on it.

The Oto-nin that was covered with bandages lurched forward and attacked Kabuto, sending the grey-haired genin stumbling back in an attempt to dodge the punch.

“I thought he avoided it,” Masaru said, frowning at Kabuto’s cracked glasses.

“He did,” Shiori said.

“Well, Akira-sensei did say this would be a challenge.” Kiyoko grinned weakly at Shiori and Masaru.

Shiori looked toward the front of the room as a large cloud of smoke appeared, her sense of trepidation growing by the minute. As the smoke cleared, a group of shinobi led by a tall man in a long coat, that was very similar to the coat Akira-sensei wore, looked out over the genin.

“Shit,” Masaru muttered.

“What is it?” Shiori asked.

“That’s Morino Ibiki,” Masaru said.

“Who?” Kiyoko asked.

“He’s the head of the Torture and Interrogation Force,” Masaru answered.

“What?” Kiyoko hissed. “What kind of test is this?”

Masaru shook his head, a look of grim determination on his face. “I don’t know, but no matter what, don’t let him get to you.”

Shiori studied the man as he instructed the genin to take a number and sit at the corresponding seat. He certainly cut an intimidating figure.

“Good luck,” Kiyoko said as the three of them took their numbers and were about to head to their seats.

“You too,” Shiori responded.

“Remember,” Masaru said, glancing at the proctors. “Don’t let them scare you. They’re going to try.”

Kiyoko grinned and struck a heroic pose. “Please, I’m fearless.”

Shiori smiled, not fooled for a second, but grateful for Kiyoko’s attempt at bravado. Masaru rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as well as he waved at the two of them before heading to his seat. Shiori’s seat was next to a lanky shinobi from Amegakure and she took a moment to study his odd jumpsuit and breathing apparatus before turning his attention to the front of the room where Ibiki was explaining the rules of the exam. 

When Ibiki was finished, Shiori turned over her paper and glanced over the questions. It became very obvious, very quickly that she could only answer about half of them with any confidence. She glanced up, easily finding Kiyoko and Masaru in the crowd. They were both smart, she knew that. But could they pull this off?

She sighed and looked back at the paper; she was going to have to trust them to do their best, just as they were surely trusting her.

It took all of fifteen minutes for Shiori to answer the questions should could without cheating and risking getting herself caught - and Masaru and Kiyoko thrown out. She glanced up in time to see Kiyoko bang her head on her desk. Apparently she’d done all she could as well. Masaru was more subtle, sitting calmly in his chair and staring at his paper, but the slight hunch in his shoulders was all Shiori needed to tell he was worried.

Shiori looked back down at her paper; there was no way to get through this without cheating. The rules seemed to encourage it, or at least want to tempt them into it; why else wouldn’t they be thrown out the first time they got caught? She pursed her lips and looked up at the instructor. He was intimidating, standing at the front of the class in his black jacket and scowling at them. Shiori couldn’t help wondering if she might end up in his care some day, if she didn’t stay in line.

Her eyes widened as a wave of realization settled over her. All of the proctors in the room were members of Konoha’s Intelligence Division; this wasn’t a test about generating knowledge, it was a test about collecting it.

She took a deep breath and discreetly made hand-signs beneath the table. It was a risk using this jutsu now; it was still new to her and she was still concerned about the ‘unpredictability’ Isamu had mentioned in his journal. But what choice did she have? 

She bit back a gasp as the jutsu activated and her sight shifted; exploding into a kaleidoscope of images before she managed to focus her chakra behind her eyes and direct her focus. The Shadow Sight Jutsu was aptly named; if used properly, Shiori could see from the perspective of any shadow in the room. It wasn’t perfect; the clarity of the sight was directly determined by the amount of chakra Shiori poured into the jutsu and if she used it too much she got a splitting headache. But it might be enough to get her the answers she needed; then she’d just have to figure out how to get those answers to Kiyoko and Masaru.

She glanced to her left and found a shadow over the heads of some of the monitors closest to her. She focused on that shadow, pouring just enough chakra into the jutsu to read the scrawls on their clipboards. Her name wasn’t there, nor were Kiyoko or Masaru’s names. That was a relief. She moved on, looking for a likely target to spy on. There was a shadow that could see most of Shikamaru’s paper, but while he was certainly smart enough to answer the majority of the questions, she wasn’t convinced he’d actually put in the effort. She turned to Neji; with his intelligence and byakugan, he probably had most of the answers by now, but there were no shadows that showed her his paper. 

She frowned and closed her eyes so she could focus on cycling through the images each shadow provided. It was difficult; even after a few minutes she could feel a headache building behind her eyes and she wasn’t sure how long she could continue. Just as she was about to deactivate the jutsu and think of another plan, she caught sight of a completed paper. A Konoha shinobi sitting a few rows in front of her had completed his work and was doodling in the corner of the paper. Shiori skimmed through his answers; they all looked correct.

She smiled and opened her eyes. Focusing to keep the image of his test in the background of her vision as she jotted down the answers she didn’t have, and even made a few small corrections to the ones she did. When she was finished, she deactivated the jutsu and closed her eyes, hoping her headache would diminish. 

Now that she was reasonably confident in her own answers, she had to figure out a way to get those answers to Kiyoko and Masaru. Her new jutsu wouldn’t be much help there; nor would the water release jutsu Akira-sensei had taught her. Though it might be funny to see what the proctors would do if she just flooded the classroom. Short of just crumbling up her test and chucking it to her teammates - not exactly subtle - there wasn’t a lot Shiori could do to help them.

She looked around the room, searching for some kind of clue. Kiyoko had taken her braid out of its bun and was tugging at it; it was only a matter of time before she got desperate and tried something drastic. Masaru’s shoulders were even more hunched. Shiori fought to keep her expression neutral, if either of them got caught cheating five times, the entire team was out regardless of Shiori’s completed test. She saw Shikamau yawn and she sat back in her chair, an idea beginning to form; she remembered the other day when she’d trapped him and the birds in a genjutsu.. Could she somehow trap Masaru and Kiyoko in a genjutsu and make them write the correct answers on their exam?

Theoretically, it was possible, but Shiori wasn't convinced she had the skill. Lacking any other option she steeled herself and closed her eyes, performing the hand-signs for the shadow sight jutsu once more. Her head immediately throbbed in protest but she did her best to ignore it. There was a shadow on the wall across from Masaru that gave her a good view of his face. He was scribbling an attempted answer to one of the questions and he did  _ not _ look happy.

Shiori focused her chakra on his writing and Masaru jumped slightly when Shiori caught him and the words he was looking at began to blur. She pushed more chakra toward him, ignoring the fact that the shadows she was peering out of seemed to grow darker, partially obscuring her vision. Masaru’s hand began to move, erasing the incorrect answers on his paper and writing correct ones as Shiori’s genjutsu progressed. His handwriting looked like someone trying to write in their sleep, but it should be enough to get him a pass.

Shiori felt a surge of triumph and continued to craft the illusion of him finishing the test. The shadows around him grew consecutively darker, the longer she focused on him; by the time he finished the last question, she could barely see him. It was like looking through a thick fog on a moonless night. She forced more chakra into the jutsu, trying to clear her vision, and tendrils of darkness shot toward Masaru. They surrounded him, coiling like snakes around a mouse, before rearing up, ready to strike. 

Shiori deactivated the jutsu with a gasp and found herself in her seat at the back of the classroom. Almost before she could think about it, she turned the gasp into a series of coughs. “Sorry,” she muttered, glancing sheepishly at the monitor sitting closest to her. 

After the monitor looked away, Shiori took a surreptitious glance at Masaru. He looked the same as before, his head still resting in his hand as he looked down at his paper. With a jolt of nerves, Shiori reactivated her shadow sight jutsu and looked at Masaru’s face. He looked fine, if not a little confused. He was studying his paper with a small frown, as if trying to figure out how he suddenly had all the answers.

Had she imagined the shadows getting ready to attack him? Trapped herself in some sort of genjutsu? Was that even possible? Maybe that’s what Isuamu had meant by ‘unpredictability’. At least she seemed to have deactivated the jutsu before the shadows had actually attacked.

She looked away from Masaru and tried to find a shadow near Kiyoko. The best shadow was to Kiyoko’s left, not as good as the one in front of Masaru but it would serve. Shiori hesitated, did she really want to try that again? Could she be sure that she hadn’t hurt Masaru? She looked down at Kiyoko’s paper and realized she didn’t have much of a choice. Kiyoko had only answered a few questions, and had used the rest of the space to write swears at the proctors. 

Shiori focused her chakra on the sound of Kiyoko tapping her pencil against the table and the rhythm hitched slightly when Kiyoko became trapped. Shiori quickly sent her an illusion of erasing the profanity and replacing it with correct answers. Kiyoko’s hand moved rapidly as Shiori hurried her along, racing the shadows that were gathering around Kiyoko. 

This time, instead of trying to force them into focus, Shiori retreated, withdrawing her chakra until she could barely see Kiyoko at all. She had just enough chakra pouring though to maintain the illusion as Kiyoko got closer to finishing the test. Shiori’s head was beginning to feel like it was splitting apart, or maybe like her eyes were trying to escape their sockets. She watched as Kiyoko finished the last answer and deactivated the jutsu quickly, before the shadows could get any closer to her best friend. 

Shiori withdrew, coming back to herself with much less drama than last time. A quick glance at the monitors was enough to assure her that they didn’t suspect anything. She closed her eyes, resisting the urge to set her head on the table and try to nap. Her head was killing her, and she was still uneasy about the jutsu’s ‘unpredictability’. As useful as it had been, she was planning on avoiding using the shadow sight jutsu again until she could study it more thoroughly. 

She opened her eyes as Ibiki announced that it was time for the final question. Her headache was still there but she pushed it away, focusing intently at the man at the front of the room. She frowned as he explained that there were new rules for the final question; and that the question itself was ‘hopeless’. Shiori glanced at Masaru and Kiyoko, remembering Masaru’s warning that Ibiki would try to scare them.

“You can choose right now whether or not you want to take the final question,” Ibiki said. “If you decide not to take it, you fail and your team fails with you. However, if you decide to try for it, and you get it wrong, you’ll be barred from ever taking the Chunin Exams again.”

Shiori’s eyes widened at the implication. A genin for life? All because of one stupid question? It was a heavy price to pay. But if Shiori opted out, Kiyoko and Masaru would automatically fail.

If the last question was as difficult as the first nine, Shiori had maybe a 50% chance of being able to answer it. Would she have the time to write the correct answer, and then get it to Kiyoko and Masaru?

She barely registered Masaru yelling at Ibiki. “What are you talking about? My sister had to take this test three times but she’s a jounin now, what gives?”

Ibiki chuckled. “It’s your bad luck that you got me for a proctor,” he said. “This year, I make the rules.”

Shiori sat back in her chair and studied Ibiki with a frown as chaos spread around the classroom. So this was the real point of the test, she thought. The insanely difficult questions and incentive to cheat well had been tools to increase the tension leading up to the real question. Were they ready to make a single decision that could change everything for them, and their team? Shiori closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing; that’s what being a chunin was really about, wasn’t it? Chunin could lead squads of their own and if Shiori couldn’t take that step into the unknown, and be willing to lead others with her, how could she consider herself ready to be chunin? She opened her eyes, careful to keep her face blank as she looked at Ibiki. She wasn’t sure what Kiyoko or Masaru would decide, but she was ready. She kept watching Ibiki as a handful of ninja around the room stood up, one by one, and called it quits, apologizing to their teams as they shuffled out.

The attention of everyone in the room snapped to Naruto as he raised a trembling hand. Shiori was surprised, the idea of him of all people quitting was unexpected.”

“Forget this,” he yelled. “There’s no way I’m quitting. You can’t scare me! I don’t care if I’ll be a genin forever! I’ll still find a way to be Hokage, no matter what!”

The mood of the room immediately lightened, the remaining genin apparently gaining confidence from his outburst. Shiori allowed herself a small smile; that was  _ much _ more in character for Naruto. 

“This is your last chance,” Ibiki said, his deep voice menacing. “Is there anyone else who wants to quit?”

He looked around the room, making eye contact with each genin in turn. When he reached Shiori she looked at him cooly, arching an eyebrow in a way she’d seen Akira-sensei do when challenged. When no one else raised their hand, Ibiki smiled.

“Huh, more than I expected,” he said. “I guess the only thing left to say is: Congratulations. You all pass.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe and healthy everyone!


	18. Forest of WHAT?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV Fujita Masaru  
Forest of death time! Hope you all enjoy!

After the exam, Masaru, Kiyoko, and Shiori headed to Kiyoko’s favorite sushi restaurant to meet Akira-sensei. By the way she was grinning, Masaru could guess she already knew the results. Before any of them could say anything, she’d swept them up in a group hug.

“I’m so proud of you three,” she said, squeezing them tightly. Masaru tried to worm his way free but there was no escaping her.

“Thanks, sensei,” Kiyoko said with a giggle.

“Be proud of Shiori,” Masaru said, finally breaking free. “She’s the one who did all the work.”

“And I want to hear all about it at dinner,” Akira-sensei said, releasing Kiyoko and Shiori. “But you all decided to take that last question, you all made the choice to continue and that’s on each of you. No one could make that choice for you.” She grinned again and Masaru couldn’t help smiling back at the look of pride on her face. He didn’t think he’d done all that much, but if she was this pleased, he must have done something right.

“Now come on,” she said, steering them into the restaurant. “Tell me everything.”

They were nearly finished with dinner by the time they’d told Akira-sensei everything that happened between when they’d left her and the end of the exam.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t let me keep one swear on the paper,” Kiyoko said with a dramatic sigh.

“It’s probably for the best,” Akira-sensei said. “Ibiki doesn't always have a sense of humor.” 

“Seriously, Kiyoko,” Masaru said, shaking his head. “Why would you even think of messing with a guy like that?”

Kiyoko shrugged and grinned. “The test pissed me off, it was way too hard.”

Masaru rolled his eyes but Akira-sensei chuckled. “You know, I think Ibiki would get a kick out of you, maybe I’ll introduce you to him some time.”

Kiyoko’s eyes widened and she shook her head. 

This time, Masaru joined in on Akira-sensei’s laughter; Kiyoko may be willing to swear at the head of the Interrogation Force on her exam, but she apparently wasn’t bold enough to want to meet him.

Masaru glanced at Shiori. She’d been quiet most of dinner, only briefly recounting the shadow sight jutsu she’d learned and how she’d used it to collect the answers and then trap him and Kiyoko in genjutsu. It was a brilliant plan, and Masaru was impressed she’d been able to pull it off. But now, instead of celebrating with them, she was poking at her food with that frown on her face that she got when she was working out a tough problem.

“You okay?” Masaru asked quietly as Kiyoko continued to rant about how creepy Ibiki was.

Shiori looked up at him and smiled, but Masaru could still see worry in her steel-grey eyes. “Of course, just a bit tired,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

“Me?” Masaru chuckled. “I’m fine, all I had to do was stare at a paper and realize how out of my depth I was. I’m getting pretty used to that last part, so no big deal.”

Shiori laughed softly and nodded. “We are a bit out of our league, aren’t we?”

“Absolutely not,” Akira-sensei said. “You three passed a test that genin with double your experience and training didn’t. It’s good that you recognize the skills of your opponents, but don’t let their skills make you doubt your own so much that you’re paralyzed.”

“A written test is one thing,” Shiori said quietly. “But they aren’t all going to be written tests, are they?”

“No,” Akira-sensei admitted with a small smile. “But your ability to analyze a situation is just as important in combat than it is when facing someone like Ibiki.”

“So, the next test is going to be combat?” Kiyoko asked, leaning across the table toward Akira-sensei.

“All I can say is that it will test your ability to successfully complete a mission,” Akira-sensei said with a mischievous smile.

“You’re enjoying this,” Masaru muttered, mildly offended at how much amusement Akira-sensei seemed to be getting from keeping them in the dark.

“Of course I am,” Akira-sensei responded with a shrug. “I have the utmost faith in your abilities and this is an excellent chance for you to gauge your skills. It’s just the kind of situation a sensei dreams of.”

“Are you sure you can’t give us more information?” Masaru pressed. “If this were a real mission, we wouldn’t be going in blind after all.”

Akira-sensei smirked and ruffled his hair before he could dodge her. “Look at you, clever boy, but no. Even on a real mission, you can only rely so much on the information you’re given beforehand. And, as you well know, things can change in an instant.”

Masaru frowned but nodded.

“I will tell you this,” Akira-sensei continued, leaning back in her seat. “You’ll need to rely on all your skills and work together if you want to pass the second test.”

“We kinda figured that out, Sensei,” Kiyoko said, rolling her eyes.

“Which is why I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Akira-sensei said with a smile.

Masaru, Kiyoko, and Shiori arrived together at the training ground where the second test was to be held. Akira-sensei had met them earlier, offering more words of encouragement and a suggestion to; ‘be nice to the proctor’ before sending them on their way.

“Five days in there?” Masaru muttered, glancing at the forest as the proctor, Anko, explained the test. “That’s, not an appealing idea.”

“I don’t know how much help I’m going to be,” Shiori said softly. “I’ve never exactly been allowed to go camping or anything.”

Kiyoko threw her arms around Shiori and Masaru’s shoulders, pulling them in for a half-hug. “Don’t worry so much, we’ll figure this out, no problem.”

Masaru and Shiori exchanged a glance over Kiyoko’s shoulder; if all they needed was her confidence to get through this test, they’d have absolutely nothing to worry about.

“Now,” Anko said, projecting over the crowd of genin. “You’ll each fill out one of these forms, then you’ll trade the forms for either a heaven or an earth scroll, got it?”

Even though the first exam got rid of a lot of people, there was still quite a crowd gathered and Masaru didn’t love the idea of sneaking through a forest for five days, trying to steal a scroll from one of the other teams. All while protecting the scroll his team carried. It reminded him too much of their first real mission.

“...Konoha no responsibility or liability in the instance of death or injury,” Shiori read, her grey eyes skimming the form. “That’s nothing new,” she muttered, half to herself.

“I guess this is starting to get serious,” Masaru said sarcastically, trying to lighten Shiori’s mood.

“Well, it  _ is _ called the Forest of Death,” Kiyoko pointed out, signing her name to her own form.

Masaru nodded and signed his own form, feeling significantly more uneasy than Kiyoko looked.

The trio stepped up to the table where two proctors sat, stacks of scrolls piled nearby. Masaru tried to count the scrolls as he, Kiyoko, and Shiori handed in their forms. He was hoping to see if he could see a pattern in how they were handing them out, but there were significantly more scrolls than teams and he couldn’t tell how much each pile had diminished.

One of the proctors held out a white scroll with “Heaven” written on it. “Good luck,” he said.

“We won’t need it,” Kiyoko responded, taking the scroll and putting it in her kunai pouch.

“What should our strategy be?” Masaru asked as they waited by their entrance to the forest.

“Don’t die?” Kiyoko suggested with a laugh.

“Yeah, that’s a given,” Masaru responded. “I mean, how should we try to get the other scroll?”

“The tower is in the middle of the forest,” Shiori said quietly, as if she were already worried that one of the other teams was listening in. “All the teams are spread out at entrances an equal distance from that tower. We could spend days searching the forest for other teams and still not find them.”

“But we know they’ll all have to head to the tower eventually,” Masaru said, catching on to her line of thinking. “So we head straight for the tower and we’re bound to run into someone.”

Shiori nodded. “If we get there quickly, we may find good spots to set traps. And, as soon as we get the scroll we need, we can run to the tower. The less time we spend in the forest, the better.”

Kiyoko grinned as she watched the proctor unlock the gate. “This is gonna be good.” 

The three raced through the forest, jumping through the trees toward the tower at the center. Masaru’s senses were on high alert, the idea of an opposing team barreling down on them had him on edge. The difference in experience between them and genin on the other teams may not have counted for much in the first exam, but in here, they could get into some serious trouble. 

“We should go slower from here,” Shiori said, jumping down from the trees into a small clearing. “Maybe try and look for something to eat and drink as we move.”

Masaru and Kiyoko joined her.

“Any idea what’s safe to eat?” Kiyoko asked.

“I know a little,” Masaru said. He’d have to thank Emi for all the survival lessons she’d insisted on giving him. “If you see something, point it out and I’ll see if I recognize it.”

“Okay, but let’s not eat anything unless you’re absolutely sure,” Shiori said.

“Agreed.”

“Kiyoko,” Shiori said, her voice taking on an even more serious tone than usual. “If things start to look bad, you need to get away as quickly as possible.” Her grey eyes flickered to Kiyoko’s kunai pouch where their ‘Heaven’ scroll was kept.

Kiyoko’s green eyes widened and she shook her head. “I am not just going to leave you two,” she said, louder than Masaru would’ve liked. 

“If someone attacks us, the scroll will most likely be their objective,” Shiori said quietly, glancing at the trees. “If you leave with the scroll, they’ll probably follow you and you’re fast enough to get away from them and find your way back to us.”

Kiyoko frowned and crossed her arms. “And if they aren’t just attacking for the scroll?”

“You mean, attacking for the fun of it?” Masaru frowned.

“Or just trying to weed out the competition,” Kiyoko said.

“If that seems to be the case, you don’t have to run,” Shiori said, holding up her hands in a placating gesture. “But if we think getting them to go after the scroll would work, we may have to try it.”

Kiyoko didn’t look happy, but she finally nodded.

“We could make decoys,” Masaru said, pulling some blank scrolls from his pack. “It could help get us out of a bad situation.”

Shiori nodded and Kiyoko grinned.

They had just finished making a handful of fake scrolls - complete with snarky messages from Kiyoko inside - when they heard a scream in the distance. 

“Looks like it’s starting,” Shiori said, putting a fake ‘Heaven’ scroll into a hidden pocket in her grey dress.

“Better us than them,” Kiyoko muttered, taking a fake scroll of her own and stuffing it into the pocket on her belt. 

“Let’s keep moving,” Masari said, tucking his own fake scroll into his kunai pouch. That scream hadn’t sounded nearly as far away as he would’ve liked.

The sun was starting to sink beneath the treeline when they paused again, this time next to a small stream. 

“Hey, Shiori,” Kiyoko said as they filled their water bottles in the stream, using a small filter designed to purify water. “Do you think you could use that new shadow jutsu you learned to try and find another team?”

Shiori frowned, looking around the trees. “Maybe,” she said slowly. “Every time I’ve used it before, I’ve had to be able to see the shadow I wanted to look out of; I don’t know what will happen if I try to look through the whole forest,” she paused and sighed. “I’ll give it a shot, but it’s hard for me to concentrate on what’s in front of me while I do it, so watch my back.”

“No problem,” Kiyoko said as Shiori sat down at the base of a tree, her back resting against the trunk. “You can count on us.”

Masaru looked away from Shiori and turned his attention to the trees, his eyes and ears working overtime to catch any hint of someone approaching. After a few minutes, Shiori sighed and Masaru glanced at her. She looked even paler than usual.

“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I couldn’t get anything useful, there were just too many shadows, sorting through them all would take way too much time and chakra.”

“Did you see anything interesting at least?” Kiyoko asked.

“I think I saw Shikamaru’s team, as well as Kiba’s,” she said. “And that team from Suna you ran into in the Village, the one with the weird gord guy” she added. “The shadows got weird around them, I don’t know what I was seeing,” her voice trailed off and she looked a little nauseous. 

“Is Kiba okay?” Kiyoko asked. “And the others?” She added quickly.

Shiori shot her a look that told Masaru she wasn’t at all convinced by Kiyoko’s attempt to cover her concern for Kiba. “As far as I could tell,” Shiori answered.

Masaru cursed as a kunai embedded itself in the ground between him, Kiyoko, and Shiori. He caught sight of the exploding tag tied to the knife and jumped away; out of the corner of his eye he caught Kiyoko dodging as well, and Shiori diving around the tree she’d been sitting under. Masaru ducked around another tree just in time to feel the blast reverberate around the small clearing. He was really starting to hate that sound. 

“Three little rookies,” a teasing voice echoed around them and Masaru peeked around the tree to see three shinobi from Kusagakure standing in the small crater their exploding tag had left behind. “You didn’t honestly think you had a chance in this test, did you?” A tall man wearing a loose jumpsuit and heavy metal bands on his wrists asked.

“You know what they say,” Kiyoko quipped from across the clearing. “You miss every shot you don’t take.”

The three Kusa-nin laughed and the only woman on the team stepped toward Kiyoko’s voice. “Oh that is  _ so _ true,” she said, her tone sickeningly sweet. “So why don’t you stop hiding and take your shot?” 

“We’re not interested in fighting you,” Masaru said. “You’re right, we’re out of our league. We’ve got a Heaven scroll, if you need it, we’ll give it to you and you can go. If you don’t need it, we can just go our separate ways.”

“Masaru!” Kiyoko yelled. “Shut up! We aren’t going to give them anything!”

“I’m not getting my ass kicked for this stupid test, Kiyoko,” he yelled back, pleased that she was doing her part to keep up his bluff.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shiori dart between two trees, her grey clothing blending into the twilight shadows. 

“Where’s the fun in letting you go?” The first man said with a chuckle.

“I think you and I have a very different definition of ‘fun’,” Masaru muttered.

The three Kusa-nin laughed again and Masaru grimaced, laughter shouldn’t be that sinister.

“You’re right about that, rookie,” the woman said, now stepping toward Masaru’s hiding spot. 

“Look, we’ve got better things to do than indulge your bloodlust,” Masaru said.

“That’s okay,” the woman responded; her tone would have been almost comforting if she didn’t continue with, “you don’t have to fight back, but it’s more fun for us if you do.”

She lunged toward the tree, moving around it faster than Masaru could track. He barely managed to jump back in time to avoid a swipe of her kunai. She shot him a feral grin and lunged again, only to be knocked back against a tree by a jet of water. Masaru got a glimpse of Shiori through the trees and he nodded to her before he jumped away.

Across the clearing, Kiyoko was dodging attacks from the man with metal bands on his wrists. She ducked under a punch and the man struck a tree, knocking out a chunk of the wood. He was strong, if Kiyoko took a direct hit from him, she could be seriously injured.

Masaru watched as Shiori jumped into the trees only to have the final Kusa-nin wrap a rope around her legs and pull her back into the clearing. “Please don’t try to escape,” he said, sounding a little bored. “They’re just unbearable if they don’t have their fun.” He snapped the rope and sent Shiori crashing into a tree.

Masaru dashed forward and cut the rope before throwing a kunai at the man in an attempt to get him to back off. Shiori threw a kunai of her own past Masaru, toward the woman from Kusa who had apparently recovered from Shiori’s water jutsu. 

“You brats,” she hissed, running toward them.

Masaru backed up until he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Shiori and fought to repress a smirk as the woman darted past an exploding tag that Shiori had planted on the tree earlier. The tag exploded, ripping a large chunk out of the tree’s trunk and throwing the woman to the side. She skidded against the ground, unconscious and Masaru turned to Shiori. “Well done.”

“No time to celebrate yet,” Shiori said. She nodded toward the man with the rope. “Mind taking care of him?”

Masaru nodded and Shiori lept toward where Kiyoko was still dodging the attacks of the other Kusa-nin. Masaru took a moment to be impressed with Kiyoko’s stamina before turning his attention to his opponent.

“Would you like to surrender?” He said, partially serious.

“Don’t get cocky,” the man said, whipping his rope at Masaru.

Masaru dodged, jumping up into the tree that Shiori’s tag had weakened. When the man launched his rope again, Masaru swung around the trunk, trapping the rope with a kunai before kicking off the branch he was standing on. That kick, combined with the Kusa-nin pulling on the rope to bring it back, was too much for the damaged tree and it started to fall. 

The Kusa-nin cursed but didn’t manage to dodge in time to avoid being hit by the falling tree. Masaru cautiously approached the man, his legs were trapped, and he was unconscious, but still breathing. Masaru let out a small sigh of relief, he hadn’t intended to kill the man and he was glad he hadn’t. 

The sound of Kiyoko crying out drew Masaru’s attention in time to see her flying across the clearing, and Shiori doubled over in pain. Masaru rushed toward Kiyoko, catching her just before she slammed into the forest floor. 

“Thanks,” she muttered, rubbing at a rapidly swelling bruise on her arm. 

Across the clearing, the man kicked Shiori in the side and sent her skidding a few feet away. Masaru and Kiyoko both rushed toward her, watching as the man raised a fist and lunged toward Shiori. There was no way they’d reach her before he did, and if she took a direct hit like that-

Masaru stumbled to a stop as a figure appeared between the Kusa-nin and Shiori, rotating so quickly the Masaru couldn’t tell who it was. The Kusa-nin collided with the rotating figure and, for a moment, there seemed to be a stalemate before the Kusa-nin flew back. In an instant, the rotating figure stopped and Masaru recognized him as Hyuuga Neji. Before Masaru could register his surprise at seeing the Hyuuga there, Neji had attacked the Kusa-nin with his gentle fist taijutsu and knocked him out. 

“Neji,” Shiori said, gingerly climbing to her feet.

“Are you all right?” He asked, walking toward her.

Masaru glanced at Kiyoko standing next to him and saw that she looked as surprised as he felt to see Neji coming to their - or rather, Shiori’s - rescue. 

“I am,” Shiori answered his question with a small smile. “Thanks to you. To what do I owe your timely intervention?”

“I was scouting when I saw the explosion,” Neji said, glancing at the crater and the felled tree, and then at Masaru and Kiyoko.

“Yes,” Shiori said, putting just a little distance between her and Neji. But Masaru wasn’t fooled, and he’d bet money that Kiyoko wasn’t either. “Not exactly subtle, was it.”

“Not exactly,” Neji agreed. Masaru caught a glimpse of a smile that Neji offered Shiori before the Hyuuga turned toward his fallen opponent. He pulled a scroll out of the man’s pocket and examined it.

“It’s an earth scroll,” he said. “Which one does your team need?”

“Earth,” Shiori admitted.

“Then take this one,” Neji offered her the scroll.

“You don’t need it?” She asked and Masaru could see her hesitating.

Neji shrugged. “My team can find their own; take it, and get safely to the tower.”

Shiori smiled and accepted the scroll. “I’ll be waiting for you there.”

Neji nodded and took to the trees without a backward glance.

“Ooohhh, Neji is so kind,” Kiyoko said in a sing-song-voice, batting her eyes at Shiori.

“That’s enough out of you,” Shiori responded, her face rapidly turning red.

“Masaru, think Neji would be that nice to just you or me?” She giggled. “Or is someone else special in the group?” 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Masaru responded. “He’s probably as nice to Shiori as Kiba is to you, don’t you think?”

It was Kiyoko’s turn to blush and Masaru couldn’t repress a self-satisfied smirk as both his teammates tried to regain their dignity. “Come on,” he said. “I’d like to be far away from here before these three wake up.”


	19. A Work of Art

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is.... Hatake Kakashi! I know! Big change right? We thought we'd like one from his point of view. Let us know what you think!

It had started about four years ago. If pressed, Kakashi could list the date down to the hour, but it was embarrassing to admit he knew all that. Akira was sitting across the table from Kakashi rambling on about her newest poison creation. Since she was treating Asuma and Kakashi to dinner, they felt obliged to listen to her. Though, that didn’t stop Asuma from making a face when Akira turned away to greet someone walking by.

Kakashi chuckled, Akira was certainly enthusiastic about her work. And it was interesting, just not that interesting. 

Akira turned back to them with a smile, “Now, where was I?” She said, putting some hair behind her ear.

She smiled at them, and Kakashi felt his heart begin to race. What had happened differently? Nothing. It was just the same as any other time. It was one of those things that might have happened a hundred times before, but this time he reacted in a different way.

Over the next few months, Kakashi realized that it was not a passing fancy that could be ignored. He began watching her every motion with hungry eyes, or eye in his case. Akira was a very touchy person, always putting a hand on someone’s arm or patting their backs. And every time she touched him his heart began pounding. It had to be a simple crush, he told himself. Nothing more. It happened sometimes, it was human nature. It didn’t really mean anything. No matter how much he told himself that, his body did not seem to agree.

After five months of this heart-fluttering madness, a pain began settling in his heart. Every time he thought of Akira, Kakashi realized he was a masochistic fool. Akira, the wonder riddle of a woman that she was, would never be his, that was a long forgone conclusion. However, he could not stop enjoying their time together. In the night, he would see her face and the familiar pain in his heart would start and he would smile. It was a kind of love he could accept. She would never love him and this way he would never disappoint her. Never to touch, never to speak of his feelings, just loving faithfully from afar. For years his world had truly lacked color, now in his vision he could see Akira, blue eyes too vivid, shining, and happy.

This is enough, his daily mantra.

What a delicious torture when she began flirting with him as a joke two years ago. Akira was not known for being cruel but she clearly had a knack for it. Asuma guessed Kakashi’s feelings around that time. Luckily, he was too absorbed with his own romantic life to interfere with Kakashi’s.

So Kakshi’s masochism could continue.

Lately, Akira’s flirting behavior had shifted to being more serious and Kakashi was concerned. What was she thinking? Half the time now she was flirting with what seemed a serious intent. Kakashi just laughed, as long as she remained half-joking he was safe. He couldn’t even dream of what would happen if she did turn serious. But… if she did, he would never be able to let her go. Likely to both of their great regret. 

  
  


Kakashi made sure his students at least made it to the training ground then went off to relax for a bit. He wondered if they’d make it through this next part, but he was pretty sure they would get through this at least. Sasuke certainly had the skills to carry them through the forest, if he could keep his head out of his ass long enough to do it. 

He waved to Genma as he passed by him in the street. They’d been broken up for almost six months now. Thankfully, it was no longer awkward. 

He dated people of course, as a comfortable bisexual the village was full of choices. He always preferred to date someone who didn’t make his emotions run rampant and his heart gallop around. But relationships, though pleasant, never lasted long. For one reason or another they fell apart. Sometimes he knew why; it was because of a pair of blue eyes would look at him and he’d forget about anything else.

Kakashi sighed and picked his book out of his pocket to start reading while he walked. 

“ _ 'He tasted of sake and sin.' _ Kakashi-senpai! What are you reading?!” Akira appeared at his elbow with a laugh.

Kakashi snapped his book shut and glared at her with a faint blush on his cheeks, luckily she couldn’t see it. “Don't you know it's rude to read over someone's shoulder?”

“Don't you know it's rude to read something like that in public?” She countered, still laughing. “Honestly, something that cliché, it's just indecent.”

“I'll have you know that Jiraiya-sensei wrote this,” Kakashi said.

“That doesn't automatically make it fine literature,” Akira said.

She had a point there but he wasn’t going to admit it. “So, you saw your team off?” He asked her.

“Oh yes, unlike some sensei’s I could name, I walked them up. I’ll let them deal with Anko though.” She chuckled. 

“Did you warn your students she is your ex-significant other?” He smiled. Like himself, Akira played both fields.

Akira laughed, “Oh no. She and I went our separate ways over a year ago, not worth bringing up now. I’m sure she won’t hold it against them.” She chuckled. “Much.” 

Kakashi laughed. 

“I cannot believe you won our bet,” Akira said with a sigh.

Kakashi smiled. Akira, having worked under Ibiki, had been confident that Ibiki would break Naruto. It was inevitable. Kakashi however, had learned a thing or two about his student, and even up against Ibiki, he knew Naruto would win. 

“I’m telling you now, Akira, that boy has something special in him.” He smiled softly. It wasn’t often he praised his students, but it was true. 

Akira chuckled, “I won’t underestimate him again. Now, we never did agree on any terms, did we?” 

“No.” Kakashi shook his head and shrugged. 

“Then how about I make you lunch?” She smiled and tugged on his arm. 

Kakashi’s heart pounded accordingly and he felt the bittersweet pain of her touch. “What, trying to poison me just for winning a bet?” He teased.

Akira glared at him playfully. “My cooking has gotten a lot better since I was a genin and you know it!” 

“I heard a rumor that your first cookout on a mission was the reason we are told to not try and forage for food at all on a mission.” He kept teasing her, but let her pull him toward her house. 

Akira rolled her eyes again, “You’re coming for lunch, Kakashi-senpai and no more arguments.” She said.

“Okay, but let’s go to my place,” Kakashi said. “I have some things I need to do at home.” 

Akira nodded, “That’ll be fine. I need to go shopping first anyway. I’ll be there in a little bit.” 

Kakashi nodded. “See you soon.” 

He quickly hurried home and sent off the paperwork for the chunin exams he’d not quite finished yet. It was one more reason he’d avoided Anko this morning. He sighed and quickly worked on the papers. So long as they were in before the third exam he didn’t see any problem. 

After he delivered them he hurried home, beating Akira thankfully. He bit his lip and debated for a moment before going to shower. His apartment was clean, but if he was going to be charming company he should be clean too. Just in case he left the door unlocked and headed for the shower. 

As he was getting out, he heard Akira coming in. With a little sigh he realized he didn’t have any clean clothes in the bathroom with him. He wrapped a towel low around his hips and started rubbing his hair dry with another towel as he went across the hall to his bedroom. 

“Have a nice shower?” Akira asked, standing boldly in the hall and looking him over.

Kakashi turned and looked at her. He tipped his head to the side a little, unsure why she’d come down to speak to him. 

“Yes, thank you,” he said. Water beads were still running down his torso, which he noticed because Akira’s eyes watched them trail down. He didn’t mind the thirsty look in her eyes and didn’t do anything to move out of sight. 

“You’re a work of art,” Akira said thoughtfully. 

Kakashi was surprised, he was expecting some more teasing, not that thoughtful tone. “What?” 

“You heard me.” Akira’s cheeks turned red and she quickly turned and headed back to the kitchen. “You’re a gorgeous man, Hatake Kakashi.” 

Kakashi had to chuckle as she practically ran off. “I can never tell if you’re joking or serious,” he said as he went to put on some clothes. Apparently his body had some interesting effects on Akira that he was going to have to think about later. 

“It’s usually safe to assume a bit of both,” Akira said from the kitchen, sounding nonchalant. 

Kakashi put on his pants and just his sleeveless shirt, leaving off the other layers when he was relaxing at home. After a moment of debate he didn’t put on his headband or mask. Akira had seen his naked face before, the scar wouldn’t bother her. 

“A bit of both?” He said as he came into the living room. 

Akira glanced at him, he’d expected with clothes on she’d look less interested in him, but her eyes focused in on his ANBU tattoo.

She cleared her throat and turned her back on him again, “Tell you what, you take it how you want. It’s your move after all.” 

“My move?” Kakashi chuckled. 

“Damn right. You wanted me to tell you how serious I am, well, I’m about half and half. Ball’s back in your court now.” She waved the knife a little before starting to cut some veggies. 

Kakashi rocked back on his heels and thought. He knew he shouldn’t, but there was no way he could resist. He waited until Akira was trying to fillet a fish and he stepped up behind her. 

Close enough to feel the heat radiating off her body, but not touching. He had always been rather cold-blooded, it was nice to feel the warmth from someone else. If she wanted to lean back into him she could, but she didn’t just yet. 

“I have a question. You said I was a work of art?” He smiled, it was a unique compliment. 

Akira was standing rather still, the knife almost forgotten in her hands. “That wasn’t a question,” she pointed out, her tone steady. But he could feel an electricity sizzling in the space between them. 

He continued, ignoring her statement for now. “Artwork is something you can’t touch,” He leaned his voice into the word touch, and he could see the pulse point in her neck start to race and the hand holding the knife trembled slightly. The position of power over her was new and exciting, his own pulse pounded as well. “You can only admire it from afar.”

Akira laughed breathily, “You know how much I enjoy breaking rules…” 

Kakashi chuckled, his lips near her ear. “Do you? For two years you’ve flirted with the idea of ‘breaking the rules’, but you’ve never once actually done anything. It’s still your move,” he said, managing to get a hair closer and still not touch. “I’m waiting. I don’t want to find out you’re all talk. Show me what breaking the rules would be like.” 

Akira shivered slightly and looked over her shoulder at him, her crystal clear blue eyes were full of confusion and excitement. 

He knew what she must be confused about and part of him couldn’t believe he’d done it. Actually admitted he’d been waiting. That it all hadn’t been a game. At least he’d only said two years, not mentioning he’d been pathetically in love with her for longer. 

“Kakashi,” she said softly, eyes scanning his bare face. With a frustrated sound, she stabbed the knife into the cutting board and turned around, grabbing him by the waist. 

There was no hesitation on her part as she kissed him, her soft lips pressing into his as if they’d kissed a thousand times before. 

He put a hand on her shoulder, feeling that she was, in fact, trembling slightly. Moving his hand to her face, he cupped her cheek and deepened the kiss. 

Thankfully, she accepted and opened her mouth to him with a soft, satisfied sound. 

“Akira! Kakashi!” Someone pounded at the door. 

Akira cursed softly and Kakashi pulled away from her hold on him. “What?” He opened his door to find an ANBU at the door. 

“Orochimaru is in the Forest,” she said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to the forest next chapter!


	20. Light At The End Of The Tunnel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Takeda Kiyoko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnd back to the forest!

Kiyoko sighed as night fell. They’d been following the river as planned, guessing it led to the tower. But when night fell the forest was near pitch black, making it impossible to keep moving safely. It was way too dangerous, they could run into a creature or traps or anything really. 

“That would be a good place to camp,” Masaru said, pointing at a rocky area free of trees. “We can keep our backs to the rock and the bushes should give us good cover if anyone happens by.”

Shiori and Kiyoko nodded in agreement. 

“We’ll camouflage the camp site; you set up some traps nearby, Kiyoko, just something that would give us a head start if there is trouble.” Masaru directed. 

Kiyoko nodded, “Yes, boss!” She grinned. 

They all got to work and then went to the river's edge to look for some food.

“Oh, check these out!” Kiyoko found a berry bush. It was late season but hopefully they were edible. 

“Awesome” Shiori looked over at Kiyoko. “I found some mushrooms.”

“And I've got some pine nuts, they're not all that tasty but they'll fill you up,” Masaru said with a smile. “Bring your stuff over and I’ll let you know if it's edible.

Shiori grabbed a mushroom and Kiyoko took over the berries for him to identify. He shook his head at the berries but said the mushrooms were the edible kind. 

“We're actually pretty good at this survival thing,” Kiyoko said, grinning. 

“Thanks to Masaru.” Shiori pointed out with a chuckle. 

Kiyoko opened her mouth to respond but Shiori and Masaru beat her to the punch.

“It’s a matter of teamwork.” They said in unison, both giving what Kiyoko assumed were impressions of her voice. 

She laughed and the other two started laughing as well as they started eating.

After their less than tasty supper, they tried to find some comfortable spots on the earth to rest. Masaru risked using an earth jutsu on the ground but it just made the rocks spikey and even harder to sleep on. So they opted for sleeping nearer the river. 

“We should set someone to watch, just in case.” Shiori said. 

“Good point.” Masaru nodded, “We don’t want to get caught off guard.” 

“Yeah,” Kiyoko said. “I'll go first, it's too early for my bedtime, anyway,” she added with a grin.

“I’ll go second,” Masaru said. “I'm used to Emi waking me up in the middle of the night when she has to run to the hospital; she’s so noisy for a jounin.”

Kiyoko nodded. “Okay.”

“Wake me is about three hours, okay?” He asked Kiyoko.

“Sure,” she said. “But you two better get to sleep quickly because those three hours start now!”

Kiyoko smiled and settled against a rock, trying to find a comfortable position. When they’d been out on a mission with Akira-sensei, she had done all the turns at keeping watch. Now they were on their own. How could anyone sleep knowing that at any moment something might attack? Of course she’d have to sleep eventually, but she doubted the next five days she’d be able to rest easily at all. 

After three hours or so Kiyoko woke Masaru up and let him keep watch. With a weary sigh she laid down and snuggled up against Shiori, needing the other person’s warmth to feel at all comfortable. 

She felt like she’d barely closed her eyes when a hand clamped over her mouth. Kiyoko’s eyes snapped open and she jerked. Masaru was leaning over her and Kiyoko relaxed when she saw it was him. She nodded to him and he moved his hand from her mouth and went to wake Shiori. 

Kiyoko got up, she had ended up using Shiori’s stomach as a pillow apparently. With a worried look she scanned the area. Of course she couldn’t see anything but she did just barely hear the sound of footsteps. She felt her heart drop and her stomach seize up. As soon as Shiori was awake they dashed up a tree with their things, trying to be silent as possible. 

“Looks like someone was camping here,” a voice said below them.

“It's a good spot, you think they've moved on?” said one of the team.

“I don't see anyone here, do you?” The first person responded.

“Nope, they’re long gone probably. Let’s keep going. Attacking sleeping groups is proving harder than we thought. We need to find some easy targets. Let’s go.” The group moved on, heading East.

“Fuuuuuuck.” Kiyoko sighed. “That was close.” 

“You did awesome, Masaru.” Shiori nodded in relief. 

Masaru smiled a little. “Thanks.”

“So, anyone feel like sleeping still?” Shiori asked, though it was clear that she didn’t.

Kiyoko shook her head, “Let’s just keep moving. I don’t want them doubling back and finding us.” 

The other two nodded in agreement. 

“Those guys were heading East, away from the tower.” Masaru frowned. 

“They probably got turned around in the dark. Let’s be careful we don’t do the same.” Shiori said as they took off.

Kiyoko sighed, as far as she was concerned they couldn’t get to the tower fast enough. But they couldn’t move at full speed, every now and then they heard creatures or groups creeping around in the dark. 

Thankfully they weren’t going fast because suddenly Shiori, who was in the lead, pulled herself to a halt. 

“Tripwire.” Shiori hissed. 

“Hopefully it’s someone sleeping. Like what we did.” Kiyoko said, biting her lip and looking around. 

A soft chuckle came from behind them and the three teammates spun around. A short, squat man with a Sunagakure symbol on his headband stood before them. His arms were crossed over his chest and a dangerous smile covered his face. 

“Things would have been so much easier if you’d just fallen into the trap.” He laughed.

Not knowing what he had in store they scattered, all jumping away from him to a more defensive position. Kiyoko ran back around to the other side of the enemy ninja while Masaru and Shiori went up to the trees. 

Kiyoko took out her kunai and gripped it tightly, preparing herself. She saw a ninja jump out of the tree behind Shiori and grab her in a bear hug, pulling her to the ground. Then a net fell over Masaru, and he also fell to the forest floor. 

“No!” Kiyoko screamed, unable to stop herself. 

“Well that was easy.” The man laughed and turned around to face Kiyoko.

She didn’t give him time to gloat and threw a handful of kunai at him, forcing him to run back. He tripped the wire and a large blade came crashing down, hitting him in his arm, making him scream. 

For a moment the sight of blood made Kiyoko hesitate, but she didn’t lose her nerve this time. She made quick hand signs, and blew a stream of air at him, forcing him back more, and stopping him from attacking. But it was just a delay, she needed more to knock him down. 

Summoning more chakra she clapped her hands together and the wind that was blowing became like needles, sharp and stinging. He threw his arm up over his eyes and tried to jump away. 

But a wall of earth appeared from nowhere and he ran into it face first before crumpling to the ground, presumably unconscious. 

Kiyoko grinned, assuming Masaru had made the wall. She darted around it to see what she could do to help her teammates. 

Masaru was free from the net, but it wasn’t clear where the one who’d captured him was.

He was running for Shiori who was still grappling with her captor. He was crushing her in a hug it seemed and Kiyoko ran to her. Masaru was ahead of her though and he made a sand trap, catching the enemy in it. As the bad guy began to sink down, he let go of Shiori in surprise. Once she was free, Masaru made another sign and the guy was sucked down to his neck, unable to attack further.

Shiroi fell over clutching her ribs just as Kiyoko reached her. 

“Shiori! Are you okay?” 

“My ribs just finished healing!” Shiori complained but she nodded. “I’ll be fine.” 

Masaru laughed weakly, “I’m glad you’re okay.” 

Out of nowhere, taking advantage of their distraction, the last Sunagakure ninja appeared, melting out of one of the trees. Kiyoko saw her out of the corner of her eye and even with her speed she didn’t think she’d make it over there before the enemy could attack. Masaru was closer, but she didn’t think he’d move in time either. 

Shiori gasped as she lifted her head and saw the flash of a kunai hitting Masaru in the gut. 

Kiyoko started running when Masaru poofed out of existence. A shadow clone? Again? This team was trying to kill her. But she sighed in relief and turned her attention back to the attacker. Masaru, the real one this time presumably, stepped up behind the Suna ninja and tried to sweep her feet out from under her. Kiyoko could read the hesitation on his face. He had a blade in his hand but he couldn’t stab her in the back, not just for a test.

It was a mistake however, the woman did start to fall, but she had another kunai that she stabbed into Masaru’s chest on her way down, tearing his skin. This time there was no pop of a clone, but real blood that oozed from his chest. 

Masaru punched her with the butt of his blade, striking her unconscious in an instant. 

Kiyoko was at his side by then and she tore the bottom of her tunic off, pressing it to Masaru’s chest. The wound was ragged and fairly deep. Did it need stitches? She had no idea. 

Shiori was hurrying over to them, “Masaru!” She said in alarm. 

“I’ll be okay.” Masaru said, holding the fabric to himself. “Look, let’s tie a quick bandage and get to the tower. We’re so close.” 

“Not if you bleed to death!” Kiyoko frowned. 

Shiori opened her pack and got out a medkit. 

“I won’t bleed out. But I am out of chakra. We need to run.” He said, looking and sounding drained. 

“Help me tie this.” Shiori asked Kiyoko, giving her something to do instead of just frowning at Masaru. 

They tied the bandage around Masaru, and grabbed their things. Kiyoko insisted on putting an arm around him to help him the rest of the way to the tower. 

It was just turning to dawn as they finally saw the tower windows. Kiyoko could have sobbed in relief when they got inside. Only to be taken aback to see that creepy Gaara’s team there already. She made sure to lead her team away to the other side of the room to wait.

They quickly sat Masaru down and made him look at his wound. It was bleeding through already. 

“Shit. I do need stitches…” He groaned. 

“I don’t know how to do that.” Kiyoko said, looking worried. 

“Me either.” Shiori shook her head.

Kiyoko glanced around the room but she sure wasn’t going to ask the creepy other team to help. 

“You have a mirror, right? You’ll have to hold it for me to do myself.” Masaru said, sounding calm even though he looked a little green. 

“Shit.” Kiyoko said, taking out her mirror and closing her eyes so she didn’t have to watch. 

Shiori helped him as best she could and they bandaged him together again. 

“I owe you a big hug for being brave when you’re healed up!” Kiyoko said, smiling at him. 

Masaru chuckled a little and laid back, closing his eyes, “Thanks for considering that before you squeezed me Kiyoko.” 

Other people gathered over the next few days. But the mood was rather sour, and Kiyoko didn’t even try to lighten it. The forest had been hard, but waiting was also hard. 

She did try to keep her team's spirits up. 

“Teach us how to sew a wound.” Kiyoko requested. She’d ripped up the bottom half of her leggings and made little rag dolls for them to practice on. 

Masaru chuckled a little but nodded. 

Finally the fifth day came and they were all escorted to a large arena adjacent to the tower. They were ordered to line up in neat little rows and told to stand up properly at attention. Not only were they there, but their sensei’s were there as well.

The hokage himself stepped forward to give a speech. Kiyoko tuned it out admittedly, she was more interested in the people. It looked like some teams were fresh and rested, like Gaara’s team. But other teams, like Naruto’s looked like they’d been beaten up badly at least once during the forest trip. 

As the Hokage rambled on about a subtle war for your village's honour, Kiyoko looked at all the gathered Sensei. All of them, she noticed, were wearing neutral serious expressions. All, that is, except for Akira-sensei. As Akira-sensei listened to the Hokage, her face was set in the small, self-satisfied smirk that Kiyoko’d come to realize was her version of the blank mask the others were showing. In fact, that smirk seemed to be Akira-sensei's default expression. But looking closer, Kiyoko realized she could see more than just the smirk; there was a tension in her jaw, and a hardness in her eyes. For some reason, Akira-sensei seemed furious.

Kiyoko had to focus in again as a man stepped in front to start explaining the next part of the test. She’d missed why they were having a ‘part 2’ of the second test, but she knew it wasn’t fair. They’d passed the test! They should have to do another test. 

“The preliminaries start now. And they will be one-on-one battles.” The proctor looked sick and kept interrupting himself to cough. “If anyone wishes to quit, give me your name and you will be excused.”

Only one person quit, that silver haired guy, Kabuto, who’d talked to them during the first test. Kiyoko couldn’t help but look at Masaru. Yeah, he’d had four days to heal from his wound, but it was still very fresh. He hadn’t even spent much time practicing like the others had, because he couldn’t risk opening his wound. But of course, Masaru wasn’t about to quit, he looked steady and determined as always. 

The proctor coughed again. “The board behind me will randomly select two names. Those two genin will remain here, the rest of you, make your way to the walkway,” he said, motioning to the elevated area around the arena. 

Every eye turned toward the board, watching as the names Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi Akado appeared

“Bad luck for Sasuke,” Shiori muttered. “He only just got to the tower, he must be exhausted.”

Kiyoko nodded. “Shiori.” She tugged Shirori’s sleeve. “What are we doing?” She asked.

Shiori rolled her eyes, “Too many genin passed. So we’re doing matches to weed some of us out.” 

Kiyoko pursed her lips and pouted, “So we’re being punished for doing good? Not sure I like these rules.” 

“It’s not punishment. And it’ll be okay.” Shiori said with a chuckle.

They went up to the balcony and Kiyoko almost ran to Akira-sensei. It was a relief to see her again. 

Akira-sensei, however, was watching Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke. She didn’t look furious anymore, but concerned instead. 

Kiyoko’s step faltered but Akira-sensei turned to her and smiled.

“You made it!” She said happily. “I’m proud of you all.” 

“It was harder than I thought it would be.” Kiyoko sighed and hurried over to her side. 

“Oh?” Akira-sensei’s smile faded as she saw Masaru come up the stairs and noticed the funny way he moved. He was wearing a clean shirt, but no doubt Akira-sensei noticed that all was not well. 

“Are you hurt?” She asked him, going over to him. 

“Yeah…” Masaru sighed. 

Shiori started telling Akira-sensei what happened, Kiyoko adding in more bits about how amazing Masaru had been. 

Akira-sensei put a hand on Masaru’s shoulder, “You don’t have to fight. There is wisdom in knowing when to withdraw.” 

Masaru nodded, “I know sensei. But I’d like to try.” He said. 

She nodded and ruffled his hair, much to his apparent annoyance. “Don’t push yourself too far.” 

Several fights passed, the Kohna shinobi doing well of course which pleased Kiyoko. She looked up eagerly at the board and her stomach flip flopped when she saw her name up there.

“Kiyoko Takeda vs Keji Ito”

Kiyoko watched as a tall, lean man from the Kusagakure team headed down the stairs. It was the same bastard they had fought in the forest. The one with the ropes. In a way it was good, she’d already seen his moves. But on the other hand he’d been strong. On the other other hand, she was totally going to kick his ass for Shiori and Masaru. 

“Be careful.” Masaru smiled.

“Good luck.” Shiori said, giving her a quick hug. 

“I got this.” Kiyoko promised

Kiyoko’s opponent hurried to the center of the arena, her blood starting to pound with excitement and worry. It was an intoxicating mixture she was coming to know well. 

Keji scoffed as he entered the arena with Kiyoko. “And here I was hoping for a challenge.” He said. 

Kiyoko laughed, “Keep on underestimating me, I’m sure it will go well for you.” 

Hayate ordered them into place and then shouted for them to begin. 

Having already seen his attacks, at least some of them, she knew she wanted him to be further away if possible, not letting him use those ropes. 

She clapped her hands together and sent a gust of wind at Keji. Thanks to catching him off guard, she threw him all the way to the back wall, his back slamming into it with a painful crack. 

Keji didn’t stay down long though, “Call that your free shot, rookie.” He said. With a quick hand sign, ropes came flying out of his sleeves. 

The ropes weaved toward Kiyoko like hungry snakes. 

“You’ll never catch me with those,” She laughed, dodging between the ropes. As long as his ropes were out she decided to risk a close attack. She ran up to him, remembering training with her father, she fainted high, like she was going to kick him in the head, but she let herself drop at the last moment and kicked his legs out from under him. Her feet hitting his kneecaps with a hard crunch. 

He started to fall, his ropes going still and she grinned. She punched him in the stomach, then hit him right under the chin.

Keji started to hit back, but his hands only connected with empty air, Kiyoko was able to read his moves a mile away. Trading punches with him was a walk in the park compared to the training she’d done with her dad. Sadly, she knew that her moves were predictable in the long run. If it wasn’t for her speed she wouldn’t be able to avoid getting hit. 

Kiyoko finally did take one good hit, a punch to her gut that sent her stumbling backwards. Just like she’d worried, Keji had stopped striking for where she was and started anticipating where she was going to be. Looked like just punching wouldn’t work anymore. 

“You’re pretty good, kid.” Keji said, wiping blood from his broken nose. 

“You can always give up, save yourself the shame of losing to a rookie.” Kiyoko said, trying to catch her breath. 

“I didn’t think I’d have to use this yet, but try and outrun this.” He made several hand signs, 

“Kiyoko! Look out!” Masaru was yelling from the balcony. 

Yeah, right, like she needed the warning. She jumped back a little but it was too late.

Keji blew a green, toxic looking smoke at her, and Kiyoko rushed to cover her mouth while moving further away.

As she jumped up though, she felt something attach around her ankle. She gasped when she felt it. For a moment her hand went back to her kunai pouch, thinking she’d cut herself free. But without fresh air she would be in danger. It was worth it to burn some more chakra. 

Making her signs again she screamed this time, letting out air in all directions to disperse the poison gas. 

Once it was gone she turned back and was able to slice the rope before standing up again. 

Keji looked angry and sent a kunai flying her way. 

Kiyoko moved in a flash, making a sign and summoning another gust of wind. This time she aimed the draft, blowing the kunai aside and then slamming Keji back up into the balcony. His back connected in the same spot it had before, but this time there was an even more sickening crack before he fell to the ground. He lay there, breathing shallowly but making no move to get up. 

“Takeda Kiyoko is the winner!” The proctor said with a hand motion. 

Kiyoko moaned and let herself fall to the ground, her legs feeling weak. But Akira-sensei must have jumped down because she fell right into Akira-sensei’s arms. 

“Think I inhaled too much gas…” Kiyoko said. She felt weak all over in a way she shouldn’t be after a fight. 

“You’ll be okay, you just need some rest.” Akira-sensei smiled. 

A stretcher came out and Akira-sensei helped load Kiyoko onto it. Kiyoko waved up at her teammates and gave them a smile so they didn’t worry. “Let me know what happens asap.” She asked Akira-sensei as she was taken away.

“I will.” Akira-sensei smiled at her.

Kiyoko sighed in relief and let herself slip into sleep. 


	21. Razor's Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Kagemura Shiori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo we feel kinda bad that we've gotten really heavy in our story right at the time when the world is so upsetting. Sorry guys. If you feel like you need a chapter of fluff let us know and we'll make it happen. Otherwise, enjoy the fights!

Shiori watched as Kiyoko was carried away; finally unclenching her fists. Her nails had dug into her palms during the match and she grimaced, looking down at the small crescent-shaped indents.

“Is she going to be okay?” Masaru asked as Akira-sensei rejoined them.

Akira-sensei nodded. “She’ll be fine, no need to worry.”

“About her, at least,” Masaru said. “As if there wasn’t enough pressure before, now we really have to win.” His tone was joking but Shiori could see the conflict in his eyes. He wanted to win, wanted to go on to the final round, but his wound was still very fresh and unless he got an opponent like Choji, he could be in serious trouble. 

“Yeah,” Shiori said, biting back her admonition for him to put his health above his pride. She couldn’t honestly say that she wouldn’t do the exact same thing he was.

The matches progressed quickly, though not quickly enough for either Shiori or Masaru who watched the screen eagerly for their names to appear. 

“I’m getting tired of waiting,” Masaru muttered as Kakashi-sensei and Asuma-sensei carried the unconscious Sakura and Ino back onto the overlook. 

The two had fought better than Shiori had been expecting, but they wouldn’t have stood a chance against any of the genin that had won their matches so far. A double K.O. was the best possible result for them. 

Masaru swore as ‘TenTen vs Temari’ flashed up on the screen.

“You’ll have your turn,” Akira-sensei said with a smile. “Pay close attention to these matches; the more you can learn about the other genin, the better chance you’ll have on the third exam.”

“If I get there,” Masaru said, rubbing at the bandages under his shirt. “I know I can beat some of these people,” he looked around with a grim expression. “Others, I’m not so sure.”

“Going in with that attitude won’t do you any favors,” Akira-sensei said.

“Thanks, Mom,” Masaru grumbled.

“Watch it, or I will talk to your mother; then you’ll be sorry.”

Masaru’s eyes widened and he quickly turned his attention back to the kunoichi fighting in the arena.

“Is your mother actually that intimidating?” Shiori asked with a laugh.

“She’s not as bad as mine,” Kiba interjected with a grin. “But she’s basically a crazy person.”

Shiori looked back at Masaru for confirmation and he nodded. 

“Ouch,” Masaru said as TenTen fell hard onto Temari’s fan.

“That was the worst possible opponent for TenTen,” Shiori said. She didn’t know the kunoichi as well as she knew Neji, but TenTen was very skilled. It was difficult to see her so easily beaten. Whether it was due to Temari having far superior skills, or just the right kind of skills to beat TenTen, Shiori wasn’t sure yet.

‘Fujita Masaru vs Maki Izumi’

Shiori’s eyes widened as she saw the names on the screen and watched the kunoichi from Kusagakure smirk and jump into the arena.

“Well, damn,” Masaru muttered, rolling his neck.

“Masaru,” Shiori started but he shook his head at her and she stopped. 

“I’ll be fine,” he said, starting toward the arena and waving back at her. To anyone else, it would seem like a dismissive gesture, but Shiori knew he was just putting on a show of confidence. She glanced back at where Akira-sensei was leaning against the wall and her sensei shot her a carefully calculated smile. Shiori nodded and turned back to the arena. Akira-sensei was watching, she wouldn’t let this go too far.

“Hey, Masaru,” Kiba yelled down. “You’d better win! We still have to see who’s the best!”

“Well,” Masaru yelled back. “That won’t be much of a contest.”

“Oh,” Izumi said, her sickly-sweet voice just as cringeworthy as it had been in the forest. “Too bad you boys won’t get to play your little game.” She grinned and Shiori had to repress a shudder. Though, to Masaru’s credit, he seemed unconcerned. “After I’m done with you,” Izumi continued. “You’ll be lucky to ever move again.”

“Boasting is a mark of weakness,” Masaru said flatly. “Insecurity.”

Izumi growled and lunged at Masaru the moment Hayate gave the signal to begin. He dodged, keeping his dark eyes trained on her every move. Constant sparring against Kiyoko had made them both cautious, ready for an opponent to feint at any moment. That training paid off when Masaru managed to dodge not only the kick she was pretending to aim at his stomach, but also the punch that was intended for his face.

He jumped away, putting some distance between the two of them and began making hand signs.

“I don’t think so,” Izumi said, taking out a scroll and kicking it toward him. It opened as it flew and a cloud of smoke obscured Shiori’s vision of the arena. 

When the smoke cleared, she could see a rope of razor wire wrapped around Masaru’s arms, binding them tightly to his side.

Shiori felt her nails digging into her palms again as she watched the wire begin to shred Masaru’s skin when he tried to move his arms.

“Move,” she yelled as Izumi charged toward him.

Ignoring, for the moment, the razor wire, Masaru trusted her shout and jumped away from Izumi, barely avoiding another attack. 

Izumi glanced up at Shiori and Shiori met her glare with a defiant smirk. 

Masaru took Izumi’s moment of distraction and used it to his advantage, landing a solid kick on the side of her head that sent her flying. With his arms still bound, his options were limited but Shiori watched, impressed, as he found ways to use the razor wire to his advantage. Yes, he was trapped and every movement seemed to make the wire dig deeper into his skin, but it also meant that Izumi had to be careful when she attacked or risk cutting herself.

Masaru used that, moving his body so that he no longer dodged her attacks, but rather positioned himself so she hit the wire. Before long, her hands were a bloody mess and Shiori would have been pleased if Masaru didn’t look just as bad; if not worse. His normally tan skin was blanching from loss of blood and Shiori looked back to Akira-sensei to find her with her jaw clenched tightly. 

“Sensei,” Shiori said, leaving off her plea for Akira-sensei to intervene as Masaru took another hit and the wire dug deeper. 

“He can call the fight any time he wants,” Akira-sensei responded, her voice calm despite the storm going on behind her blue eyes. “Would you want me to stop your match, when you were determined to continue?”

Shiori frowned and shook her head. “I don’t have to like it,” she said softly.

“No, you don’t,” Akira-sensei responded.

Izumi stepped back, blood dripping freely from her hands. “You’re tougher than I expected, kid,” she said, a not entirely sane grin on her face. “I expected you to go crying for mommy ages ago.”

Masaru smirked. “You’ve clearly never met my mother.”

Izumi laughed and it took all of Shiori’s self-control not to shy away from the sound. “I was going to play with you for a bit more,” Izumi said, cocking her head to the side. “But I’m actually getting a bit light-headed.” She licked at the blood along her knuckles. “Can’t imagine how you’re feeling.”

She giggled and began to make hand-signs. Masaru cried out and fell to his knees as the wire tightened.

Behind Shiori, Akira-sensei cursed and in the next second, she was gone. She reappeared in the arena and grabbed Izumi’s wrists from behind, forcing her hands apart.

“Did you really think I’d let you kill him?” Akira-sensei asked, her voice colder than Shiori had ever heard it.

Izumi actually pouted, slouching in Akira-sensei’s grip. “No fair,” she whined. “We were just getting to the good part.”

“Release him,” Akira-sensei said.

“Or what?”

Akira-sensei bent down enough to whisper something in Izumi’s ear and Izumi paled; seconds later, the razor wire fell to the floor and Akira-sensei was at Masaru’s side. 

Shiori was frozen to her spot on the overlook, her eyes locked with Izumi’s. The Kusa-nin raised her hand to her lips again and licked off more blood, winking at Shiori. Shiori hardly noticed her hand clenching the railing as she forced herself not to jump down there and kick the smug look off her face. The Kusa-nin laughed suddenly before returning her unhinged grin back to Shiori.

“One down,” she said.

“I’ll get you,” Shiori responded, her voice as cold as Akira-sensei’s.

She laughed again and rejoined her teammate on the other side of the overlook.

“Be cautious,” Neji said, his pale eyes fixed on the Kusagakure team.

“I am done with caution,” Shiori responded.

Akira-sensei returned from handing off Masaru to the medics in time to hear Shiori’s comment. 

“You’re not the type of fighter that uses anger as fuel, Shiori,” she said. “Don’t let them shake you.”

Shiori glanced up at her sensei; despite her words, there was a simmering rage in Akira-sensei’s deep blue eyes and Shiori was pretty sure Akira-sensei would happily kill the Kusa-kunoichi if given half the chance.

Shikamaru’s fight passed quickly, as Shiori had expected; for as lazy as he was, Shikamaru could handle just about anything once he set his mind to it. Naruto and Kiba’s fight was over fairly quickly as well and Shiori was looking forward to telling Masaru and Kiyoko exactly how Kiba had lost, in excruciating detail. Masaru would find it hilarious, Kiyoko, maybe less so.

“Shit,” Akira-sensei said under her breath as ‘Hyuuga Hinata vs. Hyuuga Neji’ showed up on the screen.

Shiori’s eyes widened as she watched Hinata and Neji meet in the center of the arena. Behind Shiori, Akira-sensei nonchalantly made her way to Gai-sensei and spoke to him quietly. Shiori couldn’t tell what she was saying, but she could read the tension in her sensei’s posture. 

She shot Akira-sensei a questioning look when Akira-sensei rejoined her, but the blue-eyed kunoichi ignored her and turned her attention to the match.

Hinata was doing well, but there was no way she could beat Neji, Shiori could tell that after the first few seconds. It hurt her to hear Neji’s pain and anger as he tried to talk his cousin out of the fight; she could hear him trying to convince himself as much as -if not more than - he was trying to convince Hinata that their fates were set. 

Shiori watched as Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei, and the proctor, Hayate, raced onto the arena floor to stop Neji a moment before he could reach Hinata and strike a - potentially - fatal blow. She glanced behind her to find Akira-sensei standing against the wall, her arms crossed as she looked at the Hokage. Her face was entirely blank, even her characteristic smirk was missing. Shiori watched as the Hokage looked at Akira-sensei and the two made eye contact. Whatever passed between them was a mystery to Shiori and she turned back to the arena as Hinata was carried away. She was proud of the heiress for standing her ground, even as she wished Hinata had given up before it got to this point. Shiori caught Neji’s eye as he returned to the overlook; his expression was carefully emotionless and Shiori felt her heart break a little for him.

Shiori watched in a kind of fog as Rock Lee faced off against Gaara. She kept replaying Neji’s words during his fight in her head. She knew his burden, knew what generations of the Head Family had forced the Branch Family to endure. But Hinata was kind, and good, and even if she wasn’t the most skilled, she could lead the Head Family in a better direction one day. Maybe if Shiori could help Neji see that, he and Hinata could work together. Shiori had to repress a smile; she was clearly spending too much time with Kiyoko if that was what she came up with.

She looked up, surprised, as Lee’s scream echoed out over the arena and watched as Gaara crushed Lee’s arm and leg in his sand; it was similar to what she thought she saw in the forest using her shadow sight jutsu. Though the shinobi Gaara had caught then had been crushed entirely. Gai dashed into the arena in time to shield Lee from Gaara’s final attack.

Shiori frowned, first Masaru, then Hinata, now Lee. She turned to Akira-sensei with a serious look on her face.

“Sensei,” she said, waiting for Akira-sensei to look away from Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei to make eye contact with her before continuing. “Don’t stop my match, not for anything.”

Akira-sensei frowned at her. “I will not let you die, not for something like this.”

“I promise, if I can’t handle it, I’ll withdraw myself,” Shiori said. “Please trust me.”

Akira-sensei took her by the shoulders and forced her to watch as Lee was settled on a stretcher. “If you push yourself too far, that could happen to you,” she said softly. “You may not die, but you might never be the same. Do you understand that?”

Shiori watched Lee being carried away, watched Kakashi-sensei comfort Gai-sensei in his own way. Finally, she nodded and turned so she could look Akira-sensei in the eyes. “I understand.”

They both turned toward the board as it displayed the next names.

“Kagemura Shiori vs. Kiozumi Hiro.” 

Akira-sensei squeezed Shiori’s shoulders and gave her a gentle push toward the stairs.

“Promise me,” Shiori said.

There was a pained expression on Akira-sensei's face but she nodded.

Shiori nodded back and met the last member of the Kusagakure team on the arena floor.

“You scared, little girl?” He asked with a scowl,

Shiro adopted a smirk not dissimilar to Akira-sensei’s default expression. “I beat you once, I can do it again.”

“Your pretty boyfriend won’t be able to help you this time,” he said.

Shiori decided to ignore that comment - and her urge to look up at Neji - as Hayate called for the match to begin.

Shiori was ready for his speed and she dashed out of his way, avoiding his accompanying punch with ease. Focusing her chakra in her legs, she wove in and out of his attacks, not letting him hit her as she tried to think of a way to deal with him.

He was strong, and fast, and at least twice her size. She didn’t know what his ninjutsu or genjutsu skills were like, but he’d eventually wear her down with taijutsu alone if she didn’t act quickly. Shiori jumped back, using her chakra to push her high into the air as she made hand-signs and shot a jet of water at him. He dodged, but brought himself right into the path of the kunai she threw after she finished the jutsu.

He cursed and pulled the kunai out of his shoulder. Shiori was already gathering her chakra as she landed, preparing to catch him in a genjutsu, but he foiled her plan by slamming his hands down onto the arena floor. She stumbled as more cracks appeared in the already broken floor and spikes of earth shot toward her. Shiori barely managed to dodge, flipping backward and springing off the wall in an attempt to avoid the spikes he was making chase her.

She dodged around the arena, throwing kunai at him when she could but he deflected each one, all while keeping one hand pressed to the ground. Shiori grimaced as she dodged just a little too slowly and one of the spikes caught her leg. It was sharp, unbelievably sharp, and it cut deep into her skin as she moved past it. She stumbled into a roll when she tried to step onto her injured leg and barely managed to avoid being impaled.

With a hissed curse, Shiori kept moving, using her chakra to strengthen her leg as her eyes flickered between the spike and Hiro.

If this kept up, she’d lose. Forget losing, she’d probably die. She ran through her techniques, her strategies, her tools, trying to think of anything that could help her. Akira-sensei had been confident they could pass this test with the skills they had and their abilities to analyse an opponent. 

Shiori smiled slightly and performed a simple clone jutsu, replicating herself a handful of times and spreading the clones across the room. As Hiro tried to pick out which was the real Shiori, she used the body flicker jutsu to increase her speed even more. Before he realized what was happening, she was behind him, lashing out with a kunai.

She cut a long gash across his shoulders and he lurched forward, finally taking his hand away from the ground. Shiori lunged forward, pressing her advantage, but her leg protested and that split second that it took to recover her footing was enough for Hiro to turn and land a solid kick to her stomach, sending her flying back, toward the spikes.

Shiori turned in midair and forced chakra out of her body, managing to skid to a halt just before the spikes. She hit the ground hard, her palms skinning against the broken tiles and the impact pushing away what little air was left in her lungs. The whistling of metal through the air was all the warning she got before a kunai embedded itself in her shoulder. She fell forward, biting back a cry. A moment later, a foot appeared in the corner of her eye, kicking her in the side and flipping her onto her back, digging the kunai in deep enough that she could feel it scraping against her shoulder blade.

Hiro loomed over her, a vicious grin on his face that was more of a snarl than anything. She lashed out, kicking him in the knee and causing him to stumble as it dislocated. He growled, aiming a punch for her face that she barely avoided by rolling to the side. Shiori grimaced as he grabbed her long hair and pulled her back toward him.

“Looks like you should have stayed in the forest,” he growled as his hands settled around her throat and began to squeeze.

Shiori clawed at his hands and face, flailing to free herself. She’d lost all sense of strategy, all sense of anything but the desperate need to survive. She managed to curl her legs between herself and Hiro and with as much force as her chakra-enhanced legs could muster, she shoved, kicking him away from her.

Shiori watched him fly back, a look of surprise on his face as he realized, a split second before Shiori did, what was about to happen. Her ears processed it first, the squelching crunch of flesh meeting stone as his body fell onto one of his own spikes. The silence that followed was interrupted only by Shiori’s gasping breaths. She was trembling, her body jerking as she desperately tried to understand what had just happened, what she’d just done.

Before the words ‘ _ he’s dead _ ’ could even form in her mind, a blinding headache threatened to tear her brain in two. She clutched her head and glanced toward Akira-sensei looking for help.

What she saw made a scream rise in her throat. Akira-sensei was there, on the overlook, knelt on the ground with blood pouring out of her mouth as she clutched her chest. A moment later, she was on the ground, pierced by a dozen swords. Shiori blinked and Akira-sensei was slumped against the wall, her head nearly severed. In desperation, Shiori looked away, her eyes landing on Neji where he sat with an arrow-like projectile buried in his heart. Then there was Choji, his emaciated body lying on the ground like a pile of broken twigs. Then Asuma-sensei, burnt and bleeding; Kakashi-sensei’s broken body-

Shiori closed her eyes, unable to stop the screams as they flowed, one after the other, from her mouth. She felt a sharp pain on her face and she realized that it was the feeling of her own nails digging into her skin; as if clawing out her eyes would save her from what she’d seen.

Strong, cool hands grabbed her wrists, gently pulling her hands away from her face.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Akira-sensei said, her voice firm but soothing. “Do you hear me, Shiori?”

Shiori managed to nod, her entire body shaking so hard it was a miracle that Akira-sensei could hold on to her.

“Come on,” Akira-sensei said, lifting her into her arms. “Keep your eyes closed,” she reminded her. “What you’re seeing isn’t real.” Akira-sensei held her tightly, the warmth of her body comforting but it didn’t seem capable of chasing away the chill that had settled in Shiori’s core.

“You’re dead,” Shiori mumbled. “You’re all dead. Everyone’s dead a thousand times over.”

“No,” Akira-sensei said. “We’re alive. We’re very much alive.”

Shiori shook her head, curling into as tight a ball as her current position in Akira-sensei’s arms would allow.

Akira-sensei set Shiori on a hard surface, a table perhaps, before wrapping her arms around Shiori and hugging her close. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “If we’d ever dreamed this was possible…”

Shiori felt something warm and wet on the top of her head. “Are you crying, Sensei?”

Akira-sensei nodded and Shiori clung to her.

“It’s the Yureigan, isn’t it?” Shiori asked, her voice so quiet that she wasn’t sure Akira-sensei would be able to hear her.

Akira-sensei nodded again and Shiori felt her blood run cold.

The Yureigan, the phantom-eye, it wasn’t possible. The Kagemura kekkei genkai had been eradicated a generation ago.


	22. Surprise Kekkei Genkai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Switch POV chapter! With Akira, Shiroi, Kiyoko, and Masaru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're still in kinda a heavy part of the story. Let us know if you need a fluff filler or if you're liking this more dramatic bit! Stay safe and healthy everyone.

**Akira**

Akira held Shiori until her trembling lessened then finally stopped. When Shiori’s grip on her loosened, she stepped back and looked over her student. There were tracks down Shiori’s face where her nails and raked across her skin, her shoulder was bleeding from where the kunai had been wrenched out in her struggle with the Kusa-nin, her palms were torn, and faint bruising was just beginning to blossom around her neck. Akira felt a fresh wave of tears flow from her eyes. She should never have promised not to step in on Shiori’s fight.

“Shiori,” Akira said softly, brushing some hair away from her student’s face. “There’s a medic here to look you over. No matter what, keep your eyes closed, okay?”

Shiori nodded.

“I have to talk to the Hokage about this,” Akira continued. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Shiori nodded again and Akira finally surrendered her to the medic. Forcing herself from Shiori’s side was one of the most difficult things Akira’d had to do in recent memory. Anger, regret, sorrow, guilt, all those things and more churned inside her as she hurried to speak to the Hokage. If she had ever imagined in her wildest dreams, that Shiori had the Kagemura kekkei genkai, she would _ never _ have thrown her into a situation like the Chunin Exams. Did the Hokage know? Could he have risked Shiori like that?

The Hokage met her in the hallway outside the arena; anticipating her storming fury, he held up his hand and motioned for her to join him in a side room.

“Did you know?” She asked, whirling on him the moment the door closed.

“No,” he said calmly. “How is Shiori?”

“She’s being treated,” Akira said. “We need to send word to her clan, we’ll need their help.”

The Hokage nodded. “I’ve already sent an ANBU. They should arrive at the Kagemura compound by sunset.”

Akira nodded and started to pace the small room, unable to settle down. “What information do we have on this ability?” She asked finally.

“Very little, the Kagemura are secretive to a fault,” the Hokage answered. “We know it grants the user the ability to see each possible death that a target will face. And, with enough skill, a Yureigan user can pinpoint which death is closest to their present and find a way to manipulate events to bring it to fruition.” The Hokage sighed. “We also know that the manifestation of this ability has been known to drive Kagemura mad; if not killing them outright if the ability manifests in the middle of a battle.” The old man shook his head. “Most of the Yureigan users were killed when the Kagemura rebelled against the Second Hokage. The occurrence of the kekkei genkai fell steadily after that, and Shiori’s grandmother conducted a purge of anyone remaining with the ability early into her reign as head of the clan. I truly believed it was gone.”

Akira frowned, not even bothering to hide her disgust. “She conducted a purge of her own people?” 

The Hokage nodded. “We didn’t find out about it until years later, there was nothing that could be done.”

“No,” Akira said, her tone scathing. “We’ve never been particularly interested in justice, have we?”

She turned on her heel and slammed the door in the Hokage’s face. On any other day, she might have been able to control herself, but with everything that had happened today… Akira took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, trying - and failing - to collect herself before she returned to Shiori. 

Kazuo had always accused her of letting her emotions get in the way of her duty to the Village; maybe he was right. But how could she be expected to stand, emotionless, while her students fought tooth and nail for the chance to reach the final stage of this pathetic war-game? A stage where they would have to fight even harder, just to entertain a bunch of rich nobles and possibly attain the rank of Chunin? 

Akira knew combat was an inevitable reality for shinobi; she enjoyed sparring and testing her mettle against her fellow ninja, but this? This gladiatorial sport was not only dangerous and unnecessary, it was demeaning. How little were their lives worth to those that hired them? Or those charged with leading them.

Akira heard the door to the room the Hokage had been in slide open and she slipped around the corner, not interested in facing the old man. The Hokage let her get away with a lot, she knew that, and she was sure he’d greet her now with the same benevolence he always showed her after an outburst. But Akira wasn’t interested in benevolence absent action.

His benevolent inaction had let the tensions within the Hyuuga clan fester into what she’d just witnessed in the arena. A brilliant young man, so downtrodden by his own family, so convinced of the hopelessness of his situation, that he’d nearly killed his own cousin for just the chance to feel in control of his own fate. And poor, sweet Hinata; cast aside by her father for not living up to his impossible expectations. Would Hiashi even care that she’d nearly died? 

Akira bowed her head, trying to push the memory of her time with the Hyuuga Clan back into the past. If things had gone as they should have, Akira would be family to Neji and Hinata. Could she have helped them before things got to this point? 

_ “They’ll destroy him, if they can.” _ Haruki’s words floated out of Akira’s memory; whispered as they watched the youn g Neji train. “ _ He’ll surpass them all if they aren’t careful. And then what would they do?" _

_ “We won’t let them,” _ Akira had responded, so sure of herself back then. _ “We’ll look after him.” _

But Haruki had died, and Akira had fled from the Hyuuga clan like a coward. Unable to see those beautiful, pale eyes from every direction but all lacking that unique fire of Haruki’s. 

Wrenching herself out of pain that should have faded years ago, Akira steeled herself and headed back to Shiori. She couldn’t change the failures of her past, but she would be damned if she failed her students as well. 

* * *

####  **Shiori**

Somehow, after the medics had taken care of her wounds, Shiori had managed to convince Akira-sensei not to make her go to the hospital. How she’d managed this, she wasn’t sure, though she suspected it had a lot to do with Akira-sensei wanting to make her as happy as possible. Or maybe Akira-sensei couldn’t stand the thought of going to the hospital either; especially if Masaru’s mom was on duty. Regardless, Shiori had ended up at home with Akira-sensei doing everything she could to settle her in for the night.

In another masterful feat of manipulation, Shiori had managed to convince Akira-sensei that what she really needed was some time alone to think about things. And yes, Shiori promised to let Akira-sensei know if she needed anything. And yes, Akira-sensei could leave one of her summoned scorpions in the house, so long as it stayed out of Shiori’s way and pretended it wasn’t there. And yes, Shiori was very well aware that Akira-sensei would be camping outside her house for the rest of the night.

Shiori hadn’t said that last part out loud, but she knew it was true, regardless.

Once Akira-sensei was gone, Shiori sat in the center of her bed and just … sat. There was a bandage around her eyes, partially because of the scratches she’d inflicted, but mostly to keep her from opening them.

She’d read about the Yureigan in the scrolls her predecessors had left her. Her earlier predecessors, Isamu and Aiko, wrote of the Yureigan with some reverence, like it was a great gift and that it’s fading away was a sign of doom for the clan. Hanae, however, had written of it like it was a curse. A stain on the Kagemura that was best left to the darkest part of their history. Shiori was inclined to agree with Hanae. Unfortunately, none of them had written about how to deal with the Yureigan.

Shiori sighed and fell back onto the bed, arms outstretched. She’d had time to think, time to rationalize. She’d killed someone today. Yes, he had been trying to kill her at the time and she hadn’t done it on purpose, but still. Killing an enemy was an eventuality for a ninja; it couldn’t be avoided forever. This just wasn’t how Shiori had expected it to happen.

Shiori didn’t sleep much, but in an effort to avoid Akira-sensei’s scorpion reporting her restlessness to her sensei, she stayed in bed and practiced her shadow sight jutsu. She found that if she poured just enough chakra into the jutsu to activate it, she could spread the sight over a wider area. Details were incredibly fuzzy, little more than blurred shapes rising out of a dark mist, but it mapped out the basic layout of the area well enough for her to avoid bumping her shin on every table she passed.

Eventually, Shiori decided she’d been in bed long enough and got ready for the day. What that day would entail, she wasn’t sure. Probably a visit from Kiyoko, if Akira-sensei couldn’t stop her. After pulling on one of her grey dresses - an unexpected benefit of a monochromatic wardrobe: she could grab her clothes blind and not worry too much about matching - she went into the kitchen to start some tea. If nothing else, spending the night meditating as she focused on her jutsu had helped to calm her down. Her mind was almost back to normal, sorting through ideas and possibilities. There had to be some secret, some trick, to the Yureigan, she just had to figure it out.

A knock on the front door drew her attention away from her tea and Shiori shifted her shadow sight to see who it was. She smiled as a familiar figure emerged from the gloom. Heading for the door, she moved her attention away from the figure. The last thing she needed was to find out if the Yureigan and the shadow sight jutsu could combine into a nightmarish reality she’d never recover from.

Shiori opened the door with a smile, “Good morning, Neji.”

She didn’t need to see him to know there’d be a slightly impressed look on his face. 

“Good morning,” he said as she motioned him inside.

“Would you like some tea?” She asked, leading him into the kitchen. She couldn’t help but smile a little; Neji had no idea she was using a jutsu to move so smoothly around her house.

“Kai,” she said as she entered the kitchen and spotted the scorpion on the table. “Would you please tell Akira-sensei to go home and get some sleep? I’m fine here.”

The scorpion didn’t respond, but he did poof away.

Shiori gestured for Neji to sit and brought her tea set to the table before taking the chair next to him.

“Have you been home yet?” She asked after a short silence.

“No,” Neji responded.

Shiori could imagine his calm features, disturbed only by a small frown as he looked away.

“Will they punish you?” She asked. He’d told her about his cursed seal; she knew what rebellion against the Head Family could mean for Neji.

“Probably,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t actually think Hiashi-sama is all that concerned about his eldest daughter’s well being, but any action against the Head Family can’t go unanswered.”

“Perhaps if you hadn’t tried to kill her,” Shiori said, not bothering to keep the admonishment from her tone.

Neji didn’t respond and Shiori didn’t need her eyes to know that he was glaring at her. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said, her tone becoming more gentle. “You know as well as I do that you let your anger get the best of you. And what purpose did it serve? Do you feel better, having hurt a girl who was just trying to be what her birth demands?” 

Once again, he didn’t respond and Shiori reached out to touch his hand. “This anger is only hurting you,” she said softly. 

Shiori smiled as she felt Neji turn his hand so he could hold hers, squeezing it briefly. “It wasn’t my intention to come here and talk about myself. How are you feeling?”

“I have many questions, and no one to turn to for answers,” Shiori said with a sigh. “It’s frustrating, but I’ll figure my way out of this maze, one way or another.”

“I’ll help you however I can,” Neji said, his thumb stroking the back of her hand absently. 

Before Shiori could do more than smile in response, there was a knock at the door and Neji activated his Byakugan. 

“It’s your teammates,” he said. “With Kiba and Shikamaru.” He squeezed her hand once more and stood. “I should go; I don’t want to deal with Kiba looking at me like I kicked Akamaru.”

“Kicking Akamaru would probably have been kinder than what you actually did,” Shiori responded, hoping that her gentle smile took away some - but not all - of the sting of her words. “You can go out that door to get to the courtyard,” she added before he could respond.

“I’ll visit later,” he said.

Shiori nodded and headed toward the front door while Neji left for the courtyard.

* * *

####  **Kiyoko**

Things since the second exam had been hectic and sad. Kiyoko was able to recover from the toxic gas within an hour or two, and it wasn’t lost on her how very close she’d come to passing out and losing the fight. If that last attack hadn’t gone perfectly… She frowned. It wasn’t a pleasant thought to realize how close she’d come to losing. 

When she’d woken up she’d found out how many of her friends were in the hospital and she went into whirlwind mode, trying to be everywhere and cheer everyone up. They’d kept her overnight for observation at the hospital so she might as well go to everyone's room and try and cheer them up. Of course she’d visited Hinata first, but Hinata wasn’t conscious yet, so she’d told her a few funny stories- just in case she could hear them- and then left her to rest in peace. Kiyoko knew Rock Lee fairly well, sometimes her dad brought her to Gai’s dojo to spar with Rock Lee once she’d been made a Genin. That meant she’d formed a friendship with Rock Lee as well. It was impossible not to like him, of course. But his room had a rather sour atmosphere, the damage to his legs was so bad… Kiyoko had tried her best to cheer him but she suspected it would be a long time before he was back to normal. Then after a moment of hesitation, she went to visit Sasuke. Sakura was there of course and she talked softly with her since Sasuke still wasn’t awake yet. It was just as well, she didn’t really like Sasuke that much but she would have been nice to him if she’d needed to. After she’d visited all the people in the hospital she went to find Masaru. 

It wasn’t fair that he’d lost his fight, he’d been so wounded that it was amazing he’d even tried. She bit her lip as she ran to his house, looking for him. Was he handling the defeat well? It was hard to tell with Masaru sometimes. He acted pretty cool and calm, but he felt things very deeply, Kiyoko suspected. 

She knocked on the door to his house and it was several minutes before a sleepy eyed Masaru opened the door. 

“Kiyoko? Are you already out of the hospital?” Masaru looked at her confused.

“Yes! I was surprised you didn’t stay overnight.” Kiyoko looked him over. He was wearing a long sleeved sleeping shirt, so it was hard to tell how many bandages he had or what the damage was to his body. But the color in his face was good, and though his shoulders were slouched, that wasn’t anything unusual for him. Other than looking sleepy and rumpled from just getting out of bed, he looked okay. 

“My sister healed me up and offered to look after me. I think she drugged me though. What time is it?” He asked, yawning. 

“It’s already 10 in the morning. Have you seen Shiori?” Kiyoko asked, concerned. 

He shook his head and looked at the ground. “Not yet. I was… not really good company after I was finished being healed.” He sighed and looked up. “Probably why Emi put me to sleep with some tea or something.” He tried to laugh but it sounded weak. 

“Want to come with me and see her?” Kiyoko asked. She didn’t want to rush him or pressure him. 

Thankfully he nodded and smiled a little, “Yeah. Give me a few minutes to get ready.” 

“I’m going to go round up a small group of us to go over. She needs some friendly voices I bet. You get ready and meet us at the corner near her house.” Kiyoko suggested with a smile. 

Masaru nodded and turned to go in. But Kiyoko reached out and grabbed the corner of his shirt, holding him back. 

“Masaru…” She said, her voice suddenly thick and she hoped she wasn’t going to cry.

“It’s okay Kiyoko.” He said urgently, putting a smile on his face. “It wasn’t my time.” He shrugged and tried to look casual. 

Kiyoko hugged him lightly, being mindful of his wound. “We never would have gotten through the forest without you. If you hadn’t been so brave and helped us in that ambush none of us would be competing.” She said softly, a few tears slipping out of her eyes. 

Masaru actually put his arms around her and gave her a soft hug, patting her back. “Just kick butt for me okay? I’m going to train with you until you beg for mercy.” He joked. 

Kiyoko pulled away with a laugh and wiped her tears. “It’s a plan.” She nodded. 

Before she kept crying she ran off, going to see if she could find a few more people to greet Shiori. 

About twenty minutes later she had coaxed Kiba and Shikamaru into visiting. Kiba had just been pacing outside of Hinata’s room and needed a break anyway. But Shikamaru really seemed interested in what had exactly happened during the fight. 

Masaru was waiting for them and waved a little when he saw them. 

They knocked on Shiori’s door and Shiori called for them to enter. They went in, kicking off their shoes. Kiyoko just about flew to Shiori’s side. 

“I’m so sorry I didn’t get here earlier! Are you okay? Does it hurt? What happened? Of course I heard some but I don’t understand! Where is Akira-sensei, has she been here yet? Can I get you anything? I brought some cookies from Takara-san!” She held up a package that of course Shiori couldn’t see.

Kiyoko looked at her raven-haired friend and frowned. “There is an extra cup of tea out. Is someone else here? Do you need more tea? I could always-”

“Kiyoko!” Masaru put a hand on her shoulder. “Calm down.” He sighed. 

Kiyoko bit her lip, “I’m sorry. I just… I’ve been so worried about you.” She dropped down and put her arms around Shiori and hugged her tightly. 

“It’s okay, but I can still only answer one question at a time. How about you all sit down?” Shiori patted Kiyoko’s back.

At least she sounded like her normal self. Even if her bandaged eyes were a sign that it wasn’t all normal. 

* * *

####  **Masaru **

Masaru watched Shiori closely as she moved around her kitchen, making more tea and washing out the extra teacup that had been on the table when they arrived. Her movements were smooth, Masaru assumed she was using the shadow sigh jutsu; if so, she had to be generally okay - she’d said that jutsu required a decent level of concentration and chakra. 

“What happened with the last match?” Shiori asked, once she’d gotten them all tea.

“Asuma-sensei had to bribe Choji into participating,” Shikamaru answered. “The fight lasted maybe a minute; that guy from Otogakure beat him easily.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s fine; he barely had to fight and he still got his barbeque.”

Shiori smiled and it seemed genuine to Masaru, though he could see some tension in her posture. 

“I can’t believe he was taken down that easily,” Kiba said.

“Well,” Masaru responded, desperately trying not to laugh. “We can’t all be defeated by a fart.”

Shiori and Shikamaru burst out laughing; even Kiyoko couldn’t resist a small giggle. Masaru smirked as Kiba sputtered at him, trying - and failing - to come up with a defense. The only thing that had made yesterday even a little bearable for Masaru was Emi telling him how Kiba had lost his fight. 

“So, what actually happened yesterday, Shiori?” Shikamaru asked once Kiba had calmed down.

“You mean with this?” Shiori asked, touching one of the bandages covering her eyes.

“Yeah.”

“It’s the Kagemura kekkei genkai,” she explained, her voice steady, but a bit softer than usual. “We thought it had been,” she paused as if searching for the right word. “Lost. Apparently we were wrong.”

“What does it do?” Kiyoko asked.

Neither Masaru, nor Kiyoko had been there to witness Shiori’s fight, but Shikamaru had filled them in on some of the details. The fight itself had sounded brutal but what had happened to Shiori afterward - Masaru had never seen Shikamaru sound so shaken.

Shiori sighed and sat back in her chair a little, as if she were trying to get away from the question. “It’s called the yureigan; a doujutsu,” she started. “Similar to the byakugan or sharingan, though the yureigan’s uses are less immediately obvious. A skilled yureigan user can see every death a person could face in their lifetime, simply by looking at them. At the moment, all I can see are a jumble of possibilities.”

“That’s terrifying,” Masaru said, his stomach knotting at the mere thought. No wonder she’d nearly scratched her eyes out. 

Shiori nodded and sighed again. “Unfortunately, I’m not quite sure how to deactivate it yet,” she said, running her fingertips over the bandages across her eyes again.

“They don’t mention that in any of those scrolls?” Kiyoko asked, gesturing vaguely toward Shiori’s living room.

“Not that I’ve found,” Shiori responded. “None of my predecessors had the yureigan.”

“I can see if there’s anything in the old Nara archives,” Shikamaru offered. “It’s a long shot, but our clans worked together before… you know,” Shikamaru’s voice trailed off and Shiori smiled.

“Before we tried to destroy the village, yeah, I know,” her tone was sarcastic but she was still smiling. “I’d appreciate any information you could find.” 


	23. Akira's Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chap is Akira.

Akira sat on the roof overlooking Shiori’s house; watching the sunrise and wishing her mood would rise with it. She’d been there all night, watching.  _ Brooding _ ; Kazuo would’ve said. And he wouldn’t have been entirely wrong. Akira was angry. Angrier than she’d been in years. She wasn’t angry at anyone in particular - though it wouldn’t be very difficult for her to find someone to direct her anger toward - she was just angry. Angry that she had watched her students suffer. Angry that she not only failed to protest their suffering, but had signed them up for it in the first place. Angry that she lived in a world where such things were not only commonplace, but happened frequently enough for people to find ways to profit off of them. Angry that, for a little while, she’d let herself forget what her world was really like. 

Kazuo had always accused her of being too soft; of connecting too deeply with her teammates and friends. Akira found it difficult to argue that point now; but what Kazuo had never understood was that connection was what strengthened her. Her desire to shield her loved ones enabled her to do whatever had to be done, simply so they didn’t have to. 

Akira arched an eyebrow as Hyuuga Neji knocked on Shiori’s door. Part of her was pleased by the idea of a blossoming young romance between Shiori and Neji; another part was reminded too much of her own pain.

Kai appeared next to Akira in a puff of smoke shortly after Shiori welcomed Neji into her house. “Shiori has suggested that you go home and get some rest,” the scorpion said

“Has she?” Akira chuckled. “How do you think she’s doing?”

“Remarkably well, all things considered,” Kai answered, a hint of pride in his deep voice. He was as attached to her students as Akira was. “She didn’t sleep much last night, but she seems to be handling things to the best of her abilities. And,” he continued before Akira could respond. “I think she’s correct in thinking you need some sleep.”

“Oh, you think so?”

“Akira-san, when you get angry, you forget the obvious,” Kai said, his tone akin to that of a long-suffering parent. “Orochimaru has been seen in the Village. He attacked both Kakashi-san’s team and Anko-san.” The scorpion shook his tail, a familiar sign of his displeasure. He was incredibly fond of Anko. “In times like this, you never know when you’ll next have a free moment to rest. You should take advantage of the peace while we still have it.”

Akira glanced down at him with a small frown. “I hate it when you do that.”

“What?” He asked, doing a remarkably good job of sounding innocent. 

“Appeal to my logic,” she responded, her frown becoming a smile.

“I’ve been dealing with you long enough to know what works.”

“Dealing with me? You make it sound like some great burden.”

“I wouldn’t dream of saying so, Akira-san,” Kai said, a hint of dignified indignation in his tone.

Akira chuckled and was about to quip back at him when something in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

“You know what, Kai,” she said, stretching a little. “You win this round, I’ll head home. Would you do me a favor though and see if Iruka is free to keep an eye on Shiori? Only ask him if he isn’t doing anything else.”

“All right,” Kai said, sounding suspicious but he scuttled off to do as he was asked.

The moment he was gone, Akira jumped to her feet and raced to the west, toward the edge of the Village. After a moment of catch-up, she spotted the figure that had drawn her attention earlier. With all that had happened during the preliminary matches, she hadn’t had time to investigate him herself but the information her scorpion spies had uncovered for her suggested that her initial suspicions had merit. She was impressed that he’d managed to stay under her radar for so long; it took a skilled spy to escape her notice so completely. Not to mention Kazuo’s.

She followed him into the woods just before the border of Konoha and when it became clear he was intending to leave the Village, she called out to him. “Yakushi Kabuto.” 

He stopped running and turned to face her.

“That’s an odd outfit for a genin,” she continued, gesturing to his ANBU armor with a small smirk.

“Hayashi Akira,” Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses with a smile. “I can’t say I was expecting you, but I am glad you’re here.”

Akira arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And why is that?”

Kabuto chuckled. “In a matter of minutes, I imagine Kakashi-san will have blown my cover completely, so I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. I’ve been watching you for quite some time, Akira-san; I admit, you’ve become something of a hobby for me.”

Akira’s eyes narrowed. “So, you  _ are _ the one who destroyed my research.”

Kabuto chuckled again. “It was a favor for an old … friend. I almost hated to do it; you’re a remarkably intelligent woman, Akira-san.”

“So, if Sasori is an ‘old friend’, who are you working for now?” Akira asked.

Kabuto’s eyes widened slightly and Akira smirked.

“You can’t think I’m  _ that _ intelligent if you’re surprised I figured out Sasori wanted to protect his venom,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t be surprised,” Kabuto admitted. “But there was no indication in any of your notes that you suspected his involvement.”

Akira’s smirk widened. “You should have read my diary, instead.”

Kabuto frowned, as if trying to decide if she was joking or not. 

“Now, answer my question; who are you working for?”

“Like I said to Kakashi-san,” Kabuto said with a chuckle. “Let me swim around for a while, and you’ll find out.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Akira said, her stance shifting slightly.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses and smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that. You see, these chunin exams have caused me some distress. I was looking forward to watching you search out who was responsible for interrupting your research but then these exams happened and it’s been eating up so much of your time,” he sighed. “And while your genin are impressive, they’re not quite as interesting to me as you are.”

“Most admirers just send flowers,” Akira quipped.

“Don’t tell me you prefer flowers over puzzles, we both know better,” Kabuto said with a laugh. “In fact, I think I know you better than just about anyone else, Akira-san,” he continued. “You see, the man I’m working for, he’s also interested in you. Though his interest is born almost entirely from that fact that there are those in the upper echelons of Konoha who consider you a potential threat.”

Akira’s eyes narrowed but she didn’t respond.

“Didn’t you know that?” He asked, catching her expression. “You’re one of the most closely watched jounin in the Village,  _ someone _ at the top is just waiting for you to go rogue.”

A list of potential names raced through Akira’s head before she could stop them, but she kept her face as neutral as possible as Kabuto continued.

“My employer thinks your defection is inevitable. He thinks your intellectual ambition, your need to go just that much farther for answers, is what’s going to cause it,” Kabuto said.

“Do you?” Akira asked.

“I think that when you go rogue - and it is ‘when’, Akira-san, not ‘if’ - I think it will be because they finally do something that you can’t justify. You have a long history of disagreeing with decisions made at the top, but you’ve always managed to justify them in the name of the greater good. You’ve always been willing to fall in line, even if you grumble and protest along the way. But eventually, there’s going to be something you can’t forgive.”

Akira forced her face to remain neutral as she studied the grey-haired spy; there was no good way to respond to that. Defending her loyalty to Konoha was beneath her - her actions on that matter spoke far louder than words ever could - but remaining silent felt like an admission of guilt, of the potential for truth in his words.

“So,” Kabuto continued, smiling broadly. “I’ve been watching you, waiting to see when that time would come. I was planning on waiting as long as it took - playing the long game, so to speak - but it looks like my time here is up. So, I have a parting gift for you, to thank you for the hours of distraction.” 

He began making hand-signs and Akira tensed, her guard up and ready for whatever he had planned.

She gasped as Kabuto summoned a coffin using the Second Hokage’s forbidden reanimation jutsu.

“I’ve been waiting for a chance to test this,” Kabuto said, opening the coffin.

For a moment, Akira was sure her heart stopped when she looked into the coffin and saw  _ him. _

“Haruki,” she whispered, unable to stop herself. 

Kabuto looked between Akira and the corpse in the coffin. “It’s been what, seven, eight years?” He asked, his tone conversational. “I read the full report on that mission, not just the bit you let your students find. You do realize the entire thing was a setup, don’t you?” He adjusted his glasses. “A test to see if an informant could be trusted. Apparently she couldn’t be,” he shook his head, studying Akira. “But you figured that out, didn’t you? You don’t look surprised at all.”

Akira forced herself to remain outwardly calm, though she couldn’t manage to take her eyes off of Haruki. “Like you said, I’ve managed to justify a lot.”

Kabuto chuckled. “But did you know that the Hokage killed him?” He asked, gesturing to Haruki. “Not personally, of course, but he ordered it. Apparently your fiance was just a little too rebellious to let live. Imagine, a Hyuuga Branch Family member conspiring against the Head Family…”

Akira closed her eyes, a memory from so long ago surfacing;

_ “Leave with me, Akira,” Haruki said, holding her hands tightly. “If we stay here, our entire future will be overshadowed by the Head Family.” _

_ “So you would have us abandon our village, our team, our friends? What future would we have as rogue ninja? Would it be better?” Akira could hardly believe what he was suggesting. _

_ “I can’t bear the thought of starting a family, knowing that our children will be little more than fodder to be sacrificed for the Head Family.” _

_ Akira removed her hands from his, and placed them on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her. “If we run, nothing changes. If you want a better future, you have to make it, my love.” _

“But don’t take my word for it,” Kabuto said and Akira’s eyes snapped open in time to see Haruki step out of the coffin, fully awake.

“Sorry I can’t stay,” Kabuto said. “But I still have so much to do.”

He was gone before Akira could make a move to stop him, even if her feet weren’t rooted to the ground.

“Akira?” Haruki said, his long-silent voice a beautiful dagger in Akira’s heart.

“Haruki,” she said, walking toward him despite the little voice in the back of her head telling her to keep her distance.

“You look well,” he said, smiling that soft, sweet smile that Akira still dreamed about, from time to time. 

“I am,” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “I’m a sensei now, they’re taking the chunin exams; they’ve done so well.”

“Good,” Haruki said. “You’ve always been good with kids.”

Akira managed a small smile. “I’ve missed you,” she said, longing to close the small distance between them but not daring to do so.

“I wish I could still be there with you,” he said. “I wish we’d run when we had the chance.”

Akira bowed her head, her fists clenched at her sides. “Please don’t say that,” she said. “I’ve tried so hard to make life better here; please don’t make me regret it.”

“Were you right, Akira,” he asked, a faint note of hope in his voice. “Were you able to change this place?”

Images flashed through her mind; Shiori screaming and clawing at her face, Masaru bound in razor wire, Kiyoko surrounded by a toxic fog, the rage in Neji’s eyes and the sorrowful determination in Hinata’s. She looked up at him, despair chilling her to the core. “No,” her voice was barely audible.

Haruki looked down, frowning. “That’s what I feared. This place, this world, it will never change. Not in the way we dreamed.”

Akira couldn’t find the words to respond; even if she could, she wasn’t sure she’d believe them enough to say them.

“I have to fight you,” Haruki said, stepping back. “I don’t have a choice, he’s controlling me.”

Akira nodded, stepping back as well. “I know,” she said, reaching behind her to grab the scroll she always kept on her belt.

“I’m sorry, my love,” Haruki said.

“As am I.”

He lunged forward and Akira was forced to retreat; careful to stay out of range of his Gentle Fist technique. It’d been far too long since she fought a Hyuuga. She unrolled the scroll and summoned her sword, grabbing the hilt out of midair and immediately infusing her blade with chakra. The next few moments were a blur of movement; when he’d died, Haruki was significantly better at taijutsu than Akira had been. But she’d had years of practice and experience that he hadn’t.

She spun, avoiding a stroke and slicing her sword down his chest before finishing the spin and thrusting forward, piercing his heart. They stood in silence, tears gathering in Akira’s eyes as Haruki looked at the sword bisecting his chest.

“Didn’t I give this to you?” He asked.

Akira nodded.

He smiled. “You’ve gotten good with it.”

“Thank you,” she said, her voice cracking.

“But this won’t work,” he said as he struck her in the chest with his hand, pushing her back.

She stumbled to her knees, coughing blood onto the grass as Haruki pulled the sword from his chest. Akira watched, gasping for breath, as the wounds she’d caused began to mend.

“This body is immortal,” Haruki said as Akira knelt in front of him. “You’re going to have to bind me somehow.”

“If I do that, your soul will be trapped forever,” Akira said.

“And if you don’t, I will kill you,” Haruki responded. “Please don’t let me do that.”

Akira bowed her head, tears falling down her cheeks. “You deserved so much better than what this world gave you,” she said before wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. 

In a few quick movements, she completed a summoning jutsu and pressed her hand to the ground. When the smoke cleared, three scorpions were sitting there. Two were the cobalt twins, Mai and Rai, vibrant blue scorpions the size of house cats. The third was Ai, the size of a thumbnail and an alarming shade of neon pink.

“Akira-chan!?” Ai said, her voice girly and sweet.

I need your help,” Akira said, looking back to Haruki. “Mai, Rai,” she said to the twins. “Formation 4.”

The pair vanished and Akira held out her hand to the pink scorpion. “You stay with me, Ai.”

“You got it!” Ai said, climbing to sit on the sleeve of Akira’s jacket. “You’re lucky I’ve forgiven you by the way…”

“At least I’m lucky with something,” Akira muttered, climbing to her feet. “I promise, Haruki, I will find a way to undo this.”

Haruki smiled and stood ready, prepared to attack. “I’ve always had faith in you, Akira.”

Their fight was a careful dance; each combatant trying to hit the other without being hit themselves. Akira knew first-hand how devastating Haruki’s strikes could be. Haruki knew Akira’s strategies enough to know that the moment she touched him, Ai would launch forward with a dangerous sting; one that would immobilize him and negate his chakra in seconds. But it’s not the danger that makes the fight so unbearable for Akira. It’s not the constant narrow evasions where one wrong move could mean irreparable damage. It was finally getting to see his face again, his graceful movements, his poise, the intelligence shining in his eyes. It was remembering everything about him that finally tamed the wild-child Akira had once been. And it was knowing that she would be responsible for his death. Again.

She saw her opportunity, a subtle break in his defenses, and she struck. Of course, it was a feint. The moment she moved close enough, he corrected and drove his palm into the center of her torso. She coughed, grabbing his arm with both hands as her body tried to cope with the damage he’d done. 

“Akira,” Haruki said, his voice full of sorrow. “You know better than that.”

“Of course I do,” she said through clenched teeth.

Haruki’s eyes widened and he looked down at his hand where the little scorpion had just stung him.

“I’ve always been a fan of calculated risks,” Akira said, stumbling away from him.

From his left and right, Mai and Rai appeared out of the grass and jumped toward him. Already, Ai’s venom was working; blocking his chakra points, paralyzing his muscles. As the blue scorpions latched onto each of his arms, Haruki looked at Akira with a sad expression. “We should have run,” he said, as the cobalt twins activated their sealing jutsu and yellowish sap spread over him. 

In a moment, he was covered and the sap began to harden and constrict, shrinking until it could fit into one of the cobalt scorpion’s claws. “Sealing complete,” Mai said, holding the ball of amber out to Akira.

Akira collapsed onto the grass, her body in agony as she struggled not to cough up her lungs.

“Akira-chan!” Ai said, climbing up to her shoulder.

“I’m fine,” Akira gasped, holding her hand out to Mai.

The cobalt scorpion set the amber in Akira’s hand and Akira closed her eyes, unwilling to look at the image of Haruki frozen inside.

“Thank you for your help,” she said to the scorpions. “You can go now.”

“But, Akira-chan!” Ai said. “You’re hurt, you need medical attention.”

“Did you become a medic when I wasn’t looking, Ai?” Akira asked.

“Well… no…”

“Then go home, please, I’ll be fine.”

Ai huffed and rattled her tail threateningly. “You and your attitude!” She said before poofing away with the cobalt twins.

Akira groaned and curled up on her side in the grass, clutching the amber to her chest. She wanted to cry, to scream, anything. But her body just wasn’t up for it. 

Eventually, Akira managed to pull herself to her feet and she headed straight for the Hokage’s office. She didn’t bother to knock when she got there; to say she wasn’t in the mood for decorum would be the understatement of the year.

“Akira?” The Hokage said, surprised.

Akira barely had time to register Kakashi standing there, looking as cool and collected as ever, before she strode to the Hokage’s desk and slammed the piece of amber down on the surface.

“Did you kill him?” She asked, her voice remarkably calm. She hadn’t actually planned to address the issue this way, but seeing the Hokage sitting comfortably at his desk had triggered something in her. 

The Hokage looked down at the amber, his eyes widening. “Is this-”

“Answer me,” she said, her voice growing louder. “Did you order his death?”

The Hokage looked up at her, a weary expression on his face. “No.”

She frowned, studying his face for a moment. “You’re never blatantly lied to me before,” she said, her voice back to nearly a whisper.

“I did not kill him, nor did I order his death,” the Hokage said.

“But someone did,” Akira said, reading the answer in his expression. “And you know who.” 

“It was a difficult time for Konoha. The Uchiha had just been massacred, tensions were running high, some factions believed that an insurrection among the Hyuuga would tear the Village apart,” the Hokage said, sounding weary.

“It wasn’t an insurrection,” Akira hissed. “It was never that.”

“What Haruki wanted was more than what the Hyuuga were willing to give,” the Hokage said, gesturing toward the amber. “Do you really think he would have accepted that?”

“We’ll never know, will we? Who ordered his death?”

“They are no longer in power-”

“Who?” Akira yelled.

“The one who killed Haruki was killed in action a few years ago, the one who ordered it can never do something like that again, and instead of being branded a criminal and dying in shame, Haruki is honored as a hero who gave his life for the Village,” the Hokage sighed and looked down. “I wish I had been able to prevent this; for that failure, I am sorry.”

Akira clenched her hands into fists, her arms trembling as she bowed her head. “With all the blood on your hands, Hokage-sama, what’s the life of one more man?” She asked before taking a deep breath and stepping back. When she raised her head, her face was expressionless. “Yakushi Kabuto is a spy, I confronted him as he was attempting to flee Konoha. Unfortunately, he was able to escape after using the Second Hokage’s reanimation jutsu,” she said, gesturing to the amber on the desk. “He is also the one who informed Sasori about my progress in reverse-engineering Sasori’s toxin. Kabuto is the one who broke into my apartment and destroyed my research. However, due to the conversation we had before he managed to escape, I do not believe that his current employer is Sasori.”

Whatever the Hokage’s response would have been, it was interrupted by Kai crawling through the open window. “Akira-san,” he said, oblivious to his surroundings in his panic. “Shiori’s been stabbed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kabuto is a jerk but that's not news to any of us. Poor Akira in this chapter! :(  
Hope you are all enjoying!


	24. New Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Masaru :D

There was another knock at the door and Shiori looked toward it in surprise. “I’ve never been this popular before,” she said, standing and making her way toward the entryway.

“She’s okay, right?” Kiyoko whispered, her green eyes wide with concern. “I mean, she seems okay but I just don’t know how she could be okay and I’m so worried.”

“She’s fine, Kiyoko,” Shikamaru said, keeping his voice low.

They heard her front door slide open followed by a low voice, murmuring something Masaru couldn’t make out. He heard Shiori gasp then the sound of something hitting the floor. 

“What-” he scooted back in his chair in time to see Shiori on her knees in the doorway and the retreating back of a man clad in a dark grey coat. “Shiori!” Masaru was out of his chair in an instant, followed by the others around the table.

Masaru got to Shiori in time to catch her as she fell back, her hands were covered in blood where they were clutched over her stomach.

“Shiori,” Kiyoko said, kneeling next to Masaru as he laid Shiori down.

“You two stay with her,” Shikamaru said. “We’ll go after that guy.”

Masaru looked up in time to see Shikamaru chasing after Kiba who was already across the street, tearing after the man in the distance.

“What do we do?” Kiyoko squeaked, tears pouring down her face and her hands fluttering around Shiori’s stomach like she wanted to help but didn’t want to hurt her friend.

“Kiyoko,” Masaru said firmly as he put pressure on Shiori’s wound. “I need you to run and get help. I’ve got to stay here and make sure she doesn’t bleed out.”

Kiyoko looked between Masaru and Shiori, clearly torn between wanting to do what Masaru said and never wanting to leave Shiori’s side again.

“Kiyoko, go. Shiori needs you to do this for her.”

Kiyoko nodded and sprinted out of the house with a sob.

“What the hell,” Masaru said, the reality of the situation catching up to him as he shrugged off his jacket and balled it up as best he could to press it to Shiori’s wound. She was bleeding quickly, if Kiyoko didn’t hurry…

He shook his head and focused on listening to Shiori’s shallow breathing. Her already pale skin was ghostly white and Masaru felt his throat tighten. They just couldn’t catch a break, could they?

“Masaru!” Iruka-sensei’s voice startled Masaru and he looked up to see the Academy instructor sprinting toward him. “Kiyoko told me what happened,” Iruka said. He stopped beside Masaru and knelt. “We’ve got to get Shiori to the hospital, I sent Kiyoko ahead to tell them she’s coming.”

Masaru nodded and grabbed one of Shiori’s grey jackets off the coat rack by the door. He tied it around her waist, holding his jacket in place over the wound. When he was done, Iruka-sensei carefully lifted the raven-haired kunoichi and sped toward the hospital. Masaru followed closely, his heart in his throat. What if they were too late? And who the hell could have done this? 

Masaru sat in the waiting room with Kiyoko; Iruka-sensei was standing by the door, his arms crossed. The doctors had immediately taken Shiori into surgery. Iruka-sensei said they seemed optimistic; Masaru wasn’t sure he knew what that word meant anymore. 

Kiyoko was still crying, though her sobbing had subsided to a silent wave of tears running down her face. She alternated between looking down at her lap and then up to Masaru, then back down at her lap. Every time she looked at him and spotted the bandages covering both his arms, she hiccuped a small sob and quickly looked away. 

The fifth time she did it, Masaru sighed and stood up. There was a water cooler in the corner and he got a cup of water for Kiyoko. “You’re going to get dehydrated,” he said, handing her the cup.

Kiyoko looked up at him and sniffled. “Thanks.” Her voice was hoarse and Masaru sighed again before sitting down and putting an arm around her shoulders. He ignored the stinging sensation that movement caused; both his arms still felt like they were on fire under the bandages, even with all the work Emi’d done to heal him. 

“She’s gonna be okay,” Masaru said, trying to convince himself as much as Kiyoko. “She’s the toughest one of us, for sure.”

Kiyoko nodded and shot him a thankful - albeit watery - smile. 

Masaru looked toward the door as it sprang open, nearly smacking Iruka-sensei in the face.

“Akira,” Iruka-sensei said, jumping out of the way of the door.

“Where’s Shiori?” Akira-sensei asked, grabbing Iruka-sensei’s arm.

“She’s in surgery,” Iruka-sensei started, only to be interrupted by Kiyoko nearly bowling him over in her hurry to get to Akira-sensei.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cracking. “I’m so sorry, it happened so fast!”

Akira-sensei hugged Kiyoko tightly and looked over the blonde’s head to Masaru who had followed Kiyoko over.

“What happened?” She asked him.

Masaru shrugged. “I have no idea. It really did happen so fast. One second, we were all having tea, the next, Shiori went to open the door and then she was bleeding and Kiba and Shikamaru were chasing after the guy who did it.”

“Okay,” Akira-sensei nodded and gently pushed Kiyoko away. “Look at me, Kiyoko,” she waited until Kiyoko managed to do what she asked. “I need you to calm down. Can either of you remember anything about the person who did this?”

Kiyoko took a deep breath and shook her head, her green eyes wide and still filled with tears.

“No,” Masaru said. “We were in the kitchen when it happened, so none of us saw his face. He was pretty far away when we got to the door but I think he was wearing a grey coat.”

Akira-sensei nodded again and put an arm around Kiyoko’s shoulder, leading her back to the chairs and gesturing for Masaru to follow.

“You two okay?” She asked when they were seated.

Masaru shrugged and Kiyoko started to nod then shook her head and buried her face in Akira-sensei’s shoulder. She mumbled something into Akira-sensei’s jacket and Masaru thought it sounded like ‘I just want everyone to be happy’; but he couldn’t be sure.

Masaru studied his sensei as she comforted Kiyoko. Akira-sensei looked exhausted; she’d probably been sitting outside Shiori’s house all night. But she can’t have been there when he and Kiyoko visited, or she would have said something to them, right?

“Where were you?” He asked. It sounded more accusatory than he meant and he bowed his head. “I mean, I just figured-”

Akira-sensei ruffled his hair and he could barely muster enough energy to swat her hand away.

“I know what you meant,” she said, smiling at him. “I was taking care of another issue, but my time would have been much better spent with you three.”

Masaru glanced up at her and saw a reflection of the regret he felt mirrored in her eyes. As much as Masaru was beating himself up for not being able to protect Shiori, Akira-sensei was doing the same.

Everyone’s attention shot to the door as Masaru’s mother came into the room. Masaru was out of his chair and halfway across the room before he realized what he was doing. Akira-sensei had stayed in her chair, still holding the crying Kiyoko.

“Moriko-san,” Iruka said, looking at the medical-nin expectantly.

“She’s okay,” Moriko said, smiling at them. “She got through the surgery like a champ, we’ve got her in recovery now. She’ll be out a few more hours at least, but she’s going to be just fine.”

Masaru threw his arms around his mother before he could stop himself. “Thank you,” he mumbled.

Moriko hugged him back, careful to avoid squeezing his cuts. “Just doing my job,” she said with a soft laugh. “But you’re welcome.”

Masaru released his mother and turned to Akira-sensei and Kiyoko in time to see Akira-sensei hastily wipe away a tear of her own. Kiyoko slowly made her way toward Moriko and bowed deeply. 

“Thank you, Moriko-san,” she said, her voice shaking.

“Oh girl,” Moriko said, and scooped her into a tight hug. “You need to go home and get some rest. You’ve had one hell of a month, I don’t want you collapsing in the middle of my waiting room.”

She gently let go of Kiyoko and turned toward Masaru.

“You too, I’m going to send Emi home with you.”

“Emi’s shift doesn’t end for a few more hours,” Masaru said, frowning at the clock.

“Emi’s shift ends when I say it ends,” Moriko said, her voice taking on her ‘hospital administrator’ tone again. 

“We can’t leave Shiori,” Kiyoko said, her voice soft but stubborn.

“Shiori’s going to sleep for hours,” Moriko said. “You should do the same. I promise I’ll send someone to tell you as soon as she wakes up.”

“But-”

“Moriko-san’s right,” Akira-sensei cut in. “You two go home, get some rest, I’ll stay here and let you know if anything changes.”

Moriko glared at Akira-sensei and Masaru knew his mother was going to try to convince his sensei to leave as soon as he and Kiyoko were gone.

“Come on, Kiyoko,” Iruka said. “I’ll walk you home.”

Kiyoko looked like she wanted to argue but she finally sighed and hugged Akira-sensei again, then turned to Masaru, saw his bandages, and gently headbutted him on his uninjured shoulder, much like a cat would’ve done. 

“You are so weird,” he muttered.

She grinned at him and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’ll see you soon,” she said before leaving the waiting room with Iruka.

“You ready to go?” Emi asked, coming in from the door on the other side of the room.

“You don’t have to send Emi home just to watch me,” Masaru muttered to his mother.

“It’s time for another one of your treatments,” Emi said.

Masaru grimaced. “I’d rather stay here.”

“No,” Moriko said firmly. “Go home, let Emi treat you, then take a nap. You do that and I’ll make you katsu curry tonight.”

Masaru tried to feign disinterest, but his mother’s katsu curry was the absolute best and he finally sighed and gave in. 

“Okay, you win,” he said. “Tyrant,” he added under his breath and Emi grinned at him.

“Come on,” Emi said, steering him out of the waiting room.

“Now, Akira.” Masaru caught his mother talking to Akira-sensei as the door to the room swung shut. “What on earth have you been up to? You’ve got at least two broken ribs…”

Masaru tried to go back into the room to hear the rest of the conversation but Emi kept him on track.

“But, what happened to Akira-sensei?” He asked, looking up at his sister.

“I have no idea,” Emi said. “But mom will sort her out. Let me worry about you.”

“Do we really need to do another session?” Masaru asked when they reached the house.

“I’m sorry, Masaru,” Emi said, looking truly sympathetic. “But we really do. The last thing you want is muscle or nerve damage. Those cuts were really deep.”

Masaru sighed and looked at the bandages wound up his arms. “Yeah, I know,” he said.

He took a seat at the kitchen table and watched as Emi dragged a chair over to sit across from him. “Which arm do you want to start with?”

“Neither,” he said, but he offered her his right arm.

Emi carefully unwound the bandages and Masaru watched with a sort of morbid fascination. If it was anyone else’s arm sliced nearly to ribbons, he’d be grossed out but it was somehow worse knowing it was his own arm.

He winced as Emi began to slowly knit more of the flesh together with her medical ninjutsu, carefully remodeling the growing scar tissue into healthy muscle and skin. It was delicate work, not every medical-nin was up to it. Masaru should be grateful that Emi was, and that she was willing to expend so much chakra on him. It was hard to feel grateful though when it felt like an army of red-hot spiders were crawling over an open cut.

He whimpered before he could stop himself and Emi shot him a sympathetic look.

“Why don’t you talk about something?” She suggested. “Distract yourself from the pain.”

“What should I talk about?” Masaru asked. “The fact that I’m the  _ only _ one on my team not to make it to the final round? Or the fact that my teammate got attacked when I was less than ten feet away and I didn’t even notice in time to see who did it? Or the fact that I’m so utterly useless that all I could do after she was attacked was watch her nearly bleed to death? Ow!” A particularly intense sting had Masaru yanking his arm away from Emi.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. She stood up and got him a glass of water from the sink. “I’m so sorry, about all of it,” she said as she sat again. “I know you’re not going to believe me when I tell you that you didn’t fail, or you’re not useless, but I’m right.” 

She took his hand and made him look her in the eyes. “You’re great, Masaru, you really are. And Shiori and Kiyoko are so lucky to have you on their team.”

Masaru looked away. “You’re right, I don’t believe you.”

Emi leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. “That’s fine, maybe once you get your head out of your ass you’ll be able to hear better.” 

Masaru shot her a glare but she just smiled at him and got to work on his arm again. 

Emi was just finishing up when Kiba walked in; he had an open invitation to the Fujita house, just like Masaru had to the Inuzuka house. Kiba stopped short in the doorway to the kitchen, his eyes widening at the sight of Masaru’s arm. 

“Damn, that’s bad,” he said and Akamaru whined.

“Hey, Kiba,” Emi said. “Tactful as always, I see.”

“Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “But it’s bad.”

Emi rolled her eyes and finished bandaging Masaru’s arm. “I know mom said you needed to take a nap, but if you promise to only sit and talk, you can hang out with Kiba and I’ll cover for you.”

Masaru snorted. “You just want her katsu curry.”

“Damn right,” Emi said. “So don’t mess this up for both of us by being an idiot.”

She waved to him and Kiba and headed toward her room, probably going to take a nap herself.

Masaru stood and stretched, trying to find a comfortable way to move his arms and failing. Everything just hurt.

“You gonna be okay?” Kiba asked, looking unsure.

“Probably,” Masaru said, leading him into the living room and flopping down - gingerly - on one of the couches. “Emi and mom think I should recover without long-term effects; aside from the scars.”

“At least they’ll look badass,” Kiba said, setting Akamaru down and sitting on the chair across from Masaru.

“Sure, if I don’t tell anyone how I got them.”

“What are you talking about?” Kiba asked. “That fight was insane. You know half our class would’ve forfeited the second that psycho caught them in the wire.”

Masaru shrugged. “The smart half, sure.”

“Well, you always were kind of a dunce in class,” Kiba teased.

Masaru threw a pillow at him and Kiba barked out a laugh. Akamaru yipped and chased after the pillow, pouncing on it.

“Come on, Akamaru, don’t chew that,” Masaru said. “My mom’ll skin us both.” 

Akamaru dropped the pillow and whined, the puppy was just as intimidated by Moriko as Kiba and Masaru were.

“So, I guess you didn’t catch the guy?” Masaru said after a pause.

Kiba looked away, frowning. “No, he was too fast. I couldn’t even catch his scent. We followed him until some trees then he just … vanished? I don’t know. It wasn’t like a body flicker jutsu or anything. One second he was there, the next he just kinda melted into the shadows,” Kiba shook his head, looking a lot like Akamaru after a bath. “It was weird.”

He sighed and looked at Masaru with a frown. “I’m sorry, man, I thought we could get him.”

“It’s fine,” Masaru said, meaning it even if he couldn’t quite manage to get his voice to sound sincere. “Really. I appreciate that you tried.”

“I really want to know who that asshole is though,” Kiba said, still looking frustrated. “Who the hell would want to stab someone like Shiori? I mean, she’s weird, but she’s nice.”

Masaru rolled his eyes. Up until Shiori had been put on a team with Masaru, Kiba had probably talked to her a total of five times, max. Now that the two could safely be called ‘acquaintances’ Kiba had accepted her into his pack. He was nothing if not loyal.

“Hopefully Shiori will be able to tell us who it was when she wakes up,” Masaru said.

“So, your mom said she’s gonna be okay?”

Masaru nodded and Kiba sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

Akamaru yipped and jumped up on the couch next to Masaru. “Hey, I’m happy too, but no dogs on the furniture,” Masaru said, moving the puppy to his lap instead. Technically Akamaru wasn’t on the couch now.

The puppy curled up, apparently content to let Masaru pet him.

“Hey, Kiba,” Masaru said after a long pause. “You like Kiyoko, right?”

Kiba jumped like Masaru had thrown cold water on him. “What?”

“You like Kiyoko, right?” Masaru repeated. “As more than a friend.”

Kiba’s face was scarlet but he nodded.

“Good,” Masaru said. “Would you help me out then? All of this has been hard on her; it’s been one thing after the other and you know what she’s like. Could you look out for her, you know? Be there to help?”

Kiba frowned; Masaru knew it was kind of a blunt ask, and probably not really even his place to say anything, but he was worried about Kiyoko and he knew Kiba made her happy.

“Yeah,” Kiba said, still looking unsure. “If you think it’ll help.”

“It will,” Masaru said. 

“Then yeah, definitely,” Kiba looked a bit more confident and Masaru smiled.

“You know,” Masaru said. “You and I are going to have to work a lot harder from here on out.”

“I know,” Kiba groaned. “You’d better get those arms taken care of fast, I’m going to need a training partner.”

Masaru glanced at his friend and grinned. “You got it.”

Kiba grinned back and threw a pillow at Masaru, testing his reflexes. Masaru laughed and ducked, wincing at both the twinge in his arms at the sudden movement, and at the sound of the pillow hitting the window. When he turned to see if any damage had been done to the glass, he spotted Shinichi outside, a concerned frown on his handsome face. 

Shinichi’s frown deepened, and Masaru caught the reflection of Kiba preparing to throw another pillow in the glass.

“Damn,” Masaru sighed as Shinichi started toward the front door.

Shinichi had been coming by a lot lately, always bringing fruit and flowers, always bringing motherly advice and extra blankets. In short, being the kind of boyfriend everyone wanted. Except… Masaru wasn’t really into that stuff. He already had a mother, thank you. And a big sister. Both of them smothered him enough. He didn’t need that from his boyfriend too. However, he was trying to grin and bear it for now; Masaru knew he was feeling a little over-sensitive at the moment, and he knew Shinichi meant well.

“What is his problem?” Kiba asked, seeing Shinichi’s frown and hearing the front door open. 

“My problem is Masaru is hurt! What are you doing?” Shinichi had let himself in and hurried into the living room, taking the pillow out of Kiba’s hand. 

Kiba looked astonished and Akamaru hurried over to him, his hair raised up. 

“It’s fine.” Masaru tried to force a smile. It was nice that Shinichi cared, he just had to keep reminding himself that. “Have a seat. We are just joking around.” 

“Just joking?” Shinichi rolled his eyes, “We’ll talk about that later.” He looked back at Kiba, “I think you should go. He needs to rest.” 

Masaru’s eyes narrowed. Shinichi had been pressing him on lots of things lately but coming in and kicking Kiba out was too much. Kiba looked at Masaru and shared a look with him. This was getting ridiculous. 

“I’ll see you later,” Kiba said, getting up. He’d seen that look on Masaru’s face before and he didn’t want to be anywhere nearby suddenly. 

“Sorry,” Shinichi smiled a little when Kiba was gone. “But you have to be careful. Your arms are in a really precarious state right now; if something goes wrong you might lose them.” 

Masaru started grinding his teeth, like he needed someone to remind him of that. But that wasn’t really the point right now. 

“Nevertheless, you can’t just charge in and kick my friends out.” Masaru tried to unclench his jaw so he wasn’t growling. 

“I’m just looking after you, it’s what boyfriends do.” Shinichi smiled. 

Masaru stood up. “No, it’s smothering. Which is exactly what I asked you not to do. Repeatedly.” 

Shinichi looked shocked, “How is caring for you smothering?” 

Masaru groaned and shook his head. “Because I don’t like it! I don’t want that kind of relationship.” He hated this part. Breaking up usually felt good when it was over but he hated kicking people out of his life. Nice people like Shinichi especially made him feel bad. But he couldn’t help how he felt. And it really was time.

Shinichi looked upset and taken aback but after a long minute, he nodded. “I see. Well, in that case, I guess I’ll just be going.” He sighed.

“I’m sorry. Really.” Masaru said gently. He gave Shinichi a kiss on his cheek. “Goodbye.” 

Shinichi took out a jar of something and put it in Masaru’s hand. “Here, some new ointment for your wounds so they don’t scar. I’ll see you around.” He gave him a little smile before he left. 

Masaru sat down with a long sigh and closed his eyes. “Alone at last. Yay.” He muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is still doing well and healthy and keeping safe! Love to you all. Thanks to you all for all the kudos and comments.


	25. Cheering Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Split POV chapter with Kakashi, Iruka, and Akira!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a loooooong chapter. lol. Static and I just couldn't help ourselves. Hope the length is okay with everyone!

####  **Hatake Kakashi**

Kakashi hurried to the hospital. He didn’t have good news to share, unfortunately, but he wanted to let them know as soon as possible what had happened. He also wanted to know what the verdict was with Shiori. 

By the time he arrived, he saw Iruka and the two other genin on Akira’s team walking outside. They looked tired and sad, but he hoped the fact they were leaving meant good news. 

He went in and went back to the surgery area.

On his way back though he heard Akira cry out. He frowned and followed the sound of her voice.

“You’ll be fine. It’s just an ice pack.” Someone was saying.

Kakashi chuckled a little. Akira had never liked hospitals… He opened a door and let himself into the room where he heard her complaining. 

“Akira?” 

“I’m in here, being tortured.” She complained. “Wait. Kakashi?” She said and he heard her scrambling off the table. 

She ran around the curtain, pulling a shirt over her head still. 

Kakashi looked away, pretending he hadn’t seen her perfect breasts. 

“What happened?” She asked eagerly. 

Kakashi looked back at her. “I’m afraid whoever did it concealed their scent. There was something in her apartment, but it was so faint we couldn’t catch it. Kiba and Shikamaru are taking it hard. They lost sight of him and they’re taking it to heart I think.” He said. 

Akira cursed and sighed. “One mystery solved and a dozen more open up.” 

The healer, who he realized now was Masaru’s mother Moriko, looked at Akira. “You have to get home and rest, Akira-san. These wounds won’t heal themselves and I can tell how drained you are.”

Akira opened her mouth to protest and Moriko made a silencing motion. 

“Kakashi-san,” Moriko looked at him, “take charge of her.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded and took Akira’s elbow in his hand, prepared to drag her. “I will.” He agreed easily. 

Akira scoffed and looked up at him, “Traitor.” She huffed. 

Kakashi chuckled and steered her out of the hospital and towards his house.

“Why can’t we go to my house? It’ll be more restful.” Akira said

Kakashi snorted. “Yeah right. Your lab is at your house. I know somehow you’ll find a way to work. No, you’re going to my place.” He said.

Akira looked like she was sulking and did actually make him drag her a little to show her annoyance. 

They went in and only then did Kakashi let go of her. He took off his shoes and stepped inside. 

“You do have a nice place.” She said as she followed and looked around. 

“I’m glad you think so. Even though it doesn’t have a lab.” He chuckled and headed to his kitchen to put the kettle on the stove.

Akira chuckled softly, “That could be easily remedied. All you need to do is lose the couch, and the dog bed. Then you’d have plenty of room.” 

Kakashi looked over at her and shook his head. “If I lost my couch where would my guests sit?” He said pointing to a spot, silently telling her to sit down. Honestly she looked like she was about ready to fall over. 

“When you have a lab you don’t have guests.” Akira grinned, sitting down without argument. “You just have test subjects.” 

Kakashi laughed and shook his head. “Have you warned your students about that?”

“What are students for, if not experimenting on?” Akira laughed. 

“That explains a lot about your team. And makes me glad you’re not at the academy anymore.” He muttered as he made some tea.

“My team is marvellous,” Akira said fondly, but then her face fell into a frown. 

“They are impressive.” Kakashi smiled a little, though she couldn’t see it she’d be able to hear it in his voice.

He handed her a cup of tea and sat on the armchair next to the sofa. Kakashi watched her closely for a little bit as she blew on her tea and sipped it.

“I’m only going to ask this once, so don’t lie to me. Please.” Kakashi added the please as an afterthought. “Are you okay?” He asked her gently as he could.

“Physically or emotionally?” Akira quipped with a sigh. 

“Both.” 

“Physically I’ll recover,” She shrugged, “Emotionally, well… I have never been that stable anyway so it probably won’t matter.” 

Kakashi sighed, this was a side of Akira he liked, but never understood. 

“This isn’t the time for your usual bravado, Akira.” He said, using his ANBU captain voice unconsciously. “ Your team needs you to be at your best.” 

Akira sighed. “I know.” She paused and sipped some more tea. “I’ll admit that right now I’m not at anything close to my best. But I will be.” 

Kakashi pulled down his mask to drink his tea and he noticed Akira didn’t even spare his face a glance, a sign of how distracted she was. Or maybe that was his ego talking. 

“This,” Akira waved her hand, indicating the world and everything that had happened lately, “All of it, isn’t going to be what defeats me.” She said. 

Kakashi nodded and smiled, “That’s all I needed to hear.” He said before settling back in his chair. 

Akira finished her tea and set it aside with a content sigh. “How is Sasuke?” She asked. 

“He’s still in hospital. Actually, before you ran into him, Kabuto was at the hospital in Sasuke’s room.” Kakashi frowned. 

“Why?” Akira said, looking concerned. 

“I don’t know. There are too many mysteries about him. Whatever the case, he killed the ANBU I had watching Sasuke.” He frowned.

“That little shit. I can't believe I let him get away.” Akira cursed. 

“I let him get away too.” Kakashi pointed out. “And you had… other things to worry about.” 

Akira looked down at her toes and sighed. It was a long mournful sigh of someone heartbroken. He would know after all. 

“It was horrible.” She said in a small voice.

Kakashi nodded. “I am sure it was.” He could only imagine someone he’d loved or cared about coming back to kill him. 

“I… can’t really talk about it right now, Kakashi.” She looked up at him, her blue eyes looked pained. 

“That’s alright.” He nodded, “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” 

Akira leaned toward him, one arm outstretched, her fingers touching his knee. “I do want to. I want to talk to you about him. Back when he died, you and I were not even friends yet really. I’d like to share many things about his life, and I need to talk about what I’ve learned today. But it’s still too raw.”

Kakashi squeezed her hand on his knee. “Then we’ll talk when you are ready.” He nodded.

Akira smiled at him, “Thank you.” 

Kakashi let go of her hand and got up to clean up their mugs. Whatever they were to each other he knew he’d never take the place of Akira’s fiance. He didn’t want to take his place. But he was glad that Akira did want to talk to him about it at some point. 

When he came back to force Akira to bed she was looking at his bookshelf, but frowning unhappily. 

“Akira?” He wouldn’t be surprised if she was going to tease him about the collection of Jiryia’s books. 

“Can I ask you something?” She said, turning to look at him. 

“Of course.” He nodded. 

“Am I a threat?”

It was his turn to frown. “What do you mean?” 

“To the village. Do you think I’m a threat to the village somehow?” She sighed.

Kakashi gave her an incredulous look. He’d been waiting for this to be a joke but she was serious. “No. Why would you be?” He asked.

“It’s nothing,” Akira said, waving the topic away. “Just something Kabuto said and I can’t help but think about it.” 

Kakashi took her by the elbow again and steered her to his bedroom, going to put her to bed like he’d promised he would. 

“You need sleep. You’re talking crazy.” He smiled a little. “The Akira I know isn’t a threat to this village in any way.” He promised. Of that he was sure. 

Akira seemed to relax a little and slipped on her normal playful smile. “When Moriko said to take care of me, I’m not sure she meant taking me to your bed, Kakashi-senpai.” 

He rolled his eyes, she loved getting a rise out of him by calling him senpai, the trouble was, it usually worked.

“You’re going to sleep and then when you get up you’ll eat a healthy breakfast. That’s taking care of you.” He clarified. But then he smiled. “After breakfast all bets are off though.” He hadn’t forgotten that kiss of course. Given what she’d been through he wouldn’t normally joke about something like that. But this was Akira. 

Akira’s reaction was what he’d hoped; she grinned and pecked him on the cheek before collapsing dramatically onto the bed. 

“That was a mistake,” she said with a wince and a chuckle, massaging her ribs. “Your bed feels terrible.” Despite her complaint, she drew Kakashi’s covers into a nest and buried herself in it, settling down in a way that reminded Kakashi of a spoiled cat.

He shook his head and smiled at her before leaving her to rest. 

* * *

  
  


####  **Umino Iruka**

If Kakashi was to be believed, it was time for Iruka to stop monitoring his former students and let their new sensei do that. But there was something about the most recent class of genin… he couldn’t let them go. All the children he taught were special, but those children had touched his heart in ways he couldn’t explain. 

So one of the things he did after the first and second exams and after all the madness that happened directly after, was to look after those old students. There were some like Choji who needed some coaxing to train more, some like Shikamaru who needed to be reminded to focus on their training instead of daydreaming. And then there were those who needed consoling. Kiba was feeling very low and Iruka enjoyed a picnic with him to cheer him and Akamaru up. 

Masaru was next on his list of his students. He knew the young genin would be taking it hard, he had high expectations of himself. And with two other members of his team making it, he was sure Masaru would be feeling cheated. 

Shiori had been unconscious after surgery for a full day now and Iruka was just as worried as the rest of the team. 

Akira smiled and waved to him from across the street.

“You look like you’re feeling better.” He said to her as he crossed over to her.

She nodded, “I slept for nearly twenty hours, I should feel better.” She chuckled, “Where are you off too?” She asked. 

“I was actually going to go cheer up Masaru if I could.” He admitted. He knew Akira at least wouldn’t get mad with him for that. 

Akira grinned at him, “Oh would you? That would be excellent! He really needs it. And I think it’ll come better from you than from me.”

Iruka smiled, “I’d be happy to help.” 

Akira nodded, “I’ll take Kiyoko off for training today, she needs a distraction too. Emi said Masaru wouldn’t be ready to train until tomorrow anyway.”

Iruka nodded and smiled, “I’ll tell him.” He promised before waving goodbye and heading along. 

He knocked at the door of the Fujita house and smiled when Emi opened the door.

“Well, this is an unexpected pleasure. Hello, Iruka-san. What can I do for you?” She asked. 

“I was looking for Masaru.” He said. 

Emi nodded and stepped aside, motioning him in. “It’s good of you to come. He’s not doing so well. We just finished another healing session.”

“Another?” Iruka asked, concerned. He took off his shoes and followed her into the house. 

“We can’t heal them too much at once. It messes with their natural healing abilities. So I can only heal tiny parts at once, just a little nudge in the right direction for his body. I’m breaking down as much scar tissue as I can while I’m at it. I won’t lie, it’s exhausting. Even if I could heal him more I wouldn’t be able to, not and keep up with my other duties.” She did look drained and tired. 

Iruka frowned. “I didn’t realize it was so bad.” He said.

Emi nodded and wrinkled her brow, “It was terrible.” She said softly. But then sighed and her face smoothed, “He’ll have scars for the rest of his life and a good story to tell at least.” She laughed. 

“Masaru!” She called up the stairs. “Iruka-sensei is here to see you!” 

A few minutes later, Masaru came down the stairs, wearing a long sleeve oversized sweatshirt and looking about as drained as his sister. 

“Hello, sensei.” He said politely. 

Iruka smiled at him. “I have this ticket for a bowl of ramen. And since Naruto is out of town I thought I’d ask you if you’d like it.” He passed Masaru the ticket. Of course, he’d bought a whole stack of them recently just for the excuse to see his students. 

Masaru took it and smiled a little. “Thank you, sensei.” 

It was doubtful that Masaru was fooled. Unlike Naruto who would have believed it was just a coincidence, Masaru probably knew it was an attempt to cheer him up. 

“We could go have some now, if you’re free?” Iruka asked hopefully. 

Masaru looked at the ticket for a moment, his large brown eyes still looked rather dull and lifeless. “Sure.” He nodded and headed for the door. 

Iruka and Emi traded a look. Iruka gave her a little smile and a nod. He’d try and help if he could. She gave him an appreciative look and then biffed her brother’s head. 

“What was that you just said to your kind Sensei who offered you a treat?” She scolded. 

Masaru turned around and rubbed the back of his curly head. “I mean, sure, Iruka-sensei, thank you. I’d love to go for ramen.” He said, being overly polite. 

Iruka laughed. “Then put on your shoes and we’ll go.” Iruka headed to the door to do the same, out of the corner of his eye he saw the siblings sticking their tongues out at each other. 

Once outside Iruka took him the long way toward the shop, content to enjoy a quiet walk, or talk if Masaru preferred. 

Masaru was quiet the whole way to the shop, his eyes on the ground mostly, nothing like the eager bright boy he usually was. 

They got seats at the counter and Masaru presented his ticket for the deluxe bowl and Iruka ordered the same. 

“You don’t have to do this, Iruka-sensei. It’s okay.” Masaru said, looking up at him. 

“Masaru…” Iruka started.

Masaru frowned and interrupted him, “Really. I’m fine. Emi said I can start training again soon. I’ll train with Kiyoko and when Shiori’s better… Well, it’ll be almost as good as if I'm still in the exams. I didn’t need the pressure of the fight anyway.” 

Iruka sipped his glass of water. “Well I’m glad you’re helping them.” He said. 

Masaru shrugged, “It’s going to be my role from now on. I’d better get used to it.” 

“Your role? Of course, you should always support your team.” Iruka said, trying to put a positive spin on his bitter words.

Masaru wasn’t having it though. He shook his head. “Nope. A support nin. I’m going to learn healing and stop bothering with all the other stuff. I should just focus my attention on healing and try to get used to sitting on the sidelines.” 

It was funny how when Masaru sulked he sounded a great deal like Akira, Iruka thought with an inner chuckle. 

But outwardly he frowned. “Do you think that’s what your sister did? Or the great Tsunade? They’re just support and don’t do other stuff?” 

Masaru clenched and unclenched his fists. “No…” He admitted reluctantly. 

Iruka put a hand on his back. “You have not failed. You showed everyone how determined you are, and how strong.”

“Not strong enough!” Masaru said, “If it had been a real fight I would have died.” 

“Then you train more. You were always one of my best students. You have it in you to keep advancing and going further. But you can’t give up.” Iruka smiled at him. 

Two steaming bowls of ramen were put in front of them and Iruka patted his back again. “Eat up.” He smiled.

Masaru was silent as they ate, clearly thinking hard. 

“I am not going to let that woman win. And I’m going to be a jounin before Shiori or Kiyoko.” He finally said.

Iruka grinned, “That’s a great plan.” He said happily. “Just for that you can have a second bowl.” 

“Thanks, sensei!” Masaru said, draining his bowl and ordering another one, more back to his usual self. 

“So what else is going on?” Iruka asked.

Masaru shrugged, “I broke up with someone again. I don’t know what it is, Sensei. I find these nice guys and everything seems fine and then…” He sighed. 

Iruka blushed a little, it was hard to think of his cute little student needing relationship advice. Though it was fairly well known that Masaru had been dating a lot in the last few years. Sadly, young Masaru probably had been on as many dates as Iruka himself. 

“It just takes time to find someone right. And then when you do find them you have to work hard to keep it going.” Iruka said, trying to express something he was only just learning himself. Things with Takara had been going wonderfully, but it was more work than he’d anticipated, even with their easy going personalities. He was sure it would be harder for someone like Masaru who was a little more particular. 

Masaru laughed a little, “Yeah, I don’t know. I could find someone new just as easy and then I don’t have to work at it.” He shrugged. “I’ll focus on becoming a jounin first, then I’ll worry about making relationships work.” 

Iruka laughed and patted his back. “Good choice.” He agreed.

* * *

####  **Hayashi Akira**

Akira watched Iruka hurry away, a small smile on her face. If anyone could cheer up Masaru, it would be him. To Masaru, Iruka represented an authority figure from a simpler time; he was someone that Masaru would instinctively trust because when had his old academy teacher ever led him wrong? Add to that Iruka’s innate ability to bring out the best in people, and Akira felt one of the weights on her heart lift a little. Masaru was in good hands, for today at least.

She turned and started toward Kiyoko’s house. The best thing for her rambunctious student was to get some of her nervous energy out. Left to her own devices, Kiyoko would probably spend most of the day pacing around the hospital - or outside of it once the doctors got tired enough of her presence.

Akira paused as she passed the garden surrounding the KIA memorial. She’d planned on putting off her agonizing about Haruki’s fate for as long as possible but the sunlight glinting off that black stone caught her eye and she found herself walking toward it before she even realized what she was doing. 

There were far too many names on that stone, but even for all the crowding, Akira found her teammates and sensei immediately. It always hurt, coming here; reading their names etched their loss deeper into Akira everytime. Made the guilt for making them throw away their lives to save hers all the sharper. Today was different; today, Akira’s grief and guilt were consumed by a rage she hadn’t felt in years. It tore at her, trying to decimate all the things she loved about this Village and leave only bad memories and fantasies of revenge. This wasn’t who Akira was, or who she wanted to be, she knew that. But she also knew how unfair it was that people could cause so much pain, throw so many lives away, and go unpunished.

“I thought I might find you here.”

Akira started, she’d been so locked in her inner turmoil that she hadn’t heard Asuma approaching. “Did you?” She asked, her voice tight as she tried to force her anger down.

Asuma grunted and came to a stop beside her, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking thoughtfully at the stone.

“The old man told me what happened,” he said, and Akira couldn’t help smiling a little at the way he referred to his father. He hadn’t done that in years, not since he returned from his time with the 12 Guardian Shinobi. It reminded Akira of when they were younger, and would sit around complaining about the leadership of the Village and how out-of-touch they seemed. Asuma had gotten so fed up, he’d left. Akira had stubbornly tried to change things, and convinced Haruki to do the same. Maybe Asuma had been right back then.

“It’s not like it was before,” Asuma said, reading her expression. “We’ve watched it change incrementally, so it seems like it hasn’t changed at all, but it has.”

“Has it?” Akira asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. “Or are we so used to the hot water, we haven’t noticed that it’s boiling?” 

Asuma chuckled and shook his head. “You know that doesn’t work? The frog will jump out way before the water boils.”

“So, you’re telling me frogs are smarter than us?”

Asuma’s chuckle became a full-throated laugh and he nodded. “Definitely. But the point I’m actually trying to make is that we’re moving in the right direction; even if it doesn’t always seem like it.”

“How can you say that?” Akira asked, finally turning to face him. “You saw what happened in that arena; can you honestly stand there and tell me the Hyuuga Branch Family is any better off today than they were when Haruki died? We still play at our war games, posturing our strength to other Villages while we murder our own rather than actually doing something that would make us stronger,” she continued on, not giving Asuma a chance to respond. “Lives and futures are spent cheaply; thrown away for what? Money? Prestige? That hasn’t changed, Asuma. We’re still just fodder to fuel the ambitions, greed, and bloodlust of the powerful.”

Akira felt her throat constrict, anger and sorrow threatening to choke her, and she turned back to the stone.

Asuma was silent for a moment, that same familiar stillness he got when he was thinking over a move in a complex shogi game. 

“It’s hard to see, from where we stand,” he said after a long pause. “When I left the Village, I was convinced that we were doing things all wrong, that there was some flaw inherent in how this place was run and if I could just get out there,” he waved vaguely in the direction of the gates. “I was sure I could find a way to fix it.” 

He sighed and lit a cigarette. “Know what I found out there?”

“I’ve been outside the Village for prolonged periods of time, Asuma,” Akira said, rolling her eyes. “I know that the systems out there are just as broken as what we’re dealing with here.”

Asua chuckled and nodded. “Sure, sure, but listen for a second. The important part is what I found when I got back.” 

Akira crossed her arms but let Asuma continue uninterrupted. 

“When I got back, I found this place better than when I’d left,” Asuma said. “And not just because of nostalgia,” he said, anticipating Akira’s next comment. He took her by the shoulders and turned her away from the KIA stone, making her face the path back to the Village instead. “I thought that was it, at first, but things are changing here - for the better.” 

He led her toward the Village, pausing at one of the main streets and nodding to the people passing by. Even with the third exam about a month away, there were already visitors from dozens of villages in the area, as well as visitors from the other Lands represented in the exam.

“Even a few years ago, do you think this would have been possible?” Asuma asked, nodding to the diverse groups milling around, chatting happily and enjoying the warm day. “Every day that we move closer to real peace; we move closer to fixing the problems created by endless wars. So much of what we’ve built, we built out of fear of being surpassed by our enemies. We’ve sacrificed people in more ways than one and chalked it up to ‘worth it’ because it protected the many. But the more we move toward this,” he nodded at the crowds again. “The less fear will hold sway.”

He and Akira stepped to the side as a handful of Academy students raced by with a pair of kids wearing clothing common in Sunagakure mixed in with them; all shrieking with laughter and trying to catch a very annoyed looking cat. 

“You’ve always had it right, Akira,” Asuma said once the thundering hoard of children had passed. “We work to change what we can, however we can, so our students will have a stronger foundation to make even more changes, so that those kids might never have to deal with what we did,” he nodded after the Academy students. “And it is working. We’re signing treaties instead of declarations of war, our students are getting the chance to be kids before they’re thrown into the thick of battle. We have a long way to go, but we are going to get there.”

Akira shook her head and sighed. “It usually takes at least a bottle of sake to get you this philosophical,” she teased, pushing her anger and sadness down as deep as she could. 

“I wouldn’t say no to a bottle,” Asuma said with a laugh. “But we’ve both got students to train.”

Akira nodded, she’d let herself get sidetracked from Kiyoko; it wasn’t fair for Akira to let her own issues impact her student. 

“Seriously, though, Akira,” Asuma said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t tell you back then, when I finally came home, but you were right. I didn’t fix anything here by running away; people like you fixed things while I was gone.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Kazuo would say that you not being here, and being a bad influence, helped immeasurably,” Akira said airily.

Asuma snorted. “Maybe he should leave for a while and see how much things improve without his influence.”

Akira finally joined Asuma in his laughter. “The whole Village would crumble without his guiding hand,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“That’s certainly what he’d have us believe.”

It felt good to laugh, even if it was at her brother’s expense, and Akira smiled at Asuma. “Thanks for the talk, you big softie.”

“Softie,” Asuma repeated, looking aghast. “Watch your mouth, I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Sure,” Akira responded. “Big, tough Asuma with his 30,000 ryo bounty.”

“35,000, thank you.”

Akira grinned. “Kakashi’s is higher,” she teased, before she could stop herself.

Asuma rolled his eyes. “I take time out of my day to check on you, and this is how you repay me.”

“You’d be disappointed otherwise.”

“At least now I know you’re feeling a bit better,” he agreed, giving a long-suffering sigh.

“Well, it looks like you’ll get a reprieve from my teasing,” Akira said, spotting Kiyoko shuffling dejectedly toward them, coming from the direction of the hospital. “I have a student to train.”

Asuma grunted. “I’d better go see where Shikamaru’s hiding.”

“Good luck,” Akira said, waving to him as she started toward Kiyoko.

Despite not entirely believing Asuma’s reassurances that things were changing for the better in Konoha, Akira found herself feeling a bit lighter. It was easier to push down the worst parts of her when people like Asuma were around to remind her why she wanted to be better.


	26. Kiyoko the Trooper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV Kiyoko

Kiyoko sighed as she was turned away from the hospital again. They didn’t want her to just linger around all the time annoyingly enough. Shiori was still asleep and showed no signs of waking. The healers assured her it was normal for the body to need lots of rest, but after a full 24-hours of waiting Kiyoko was almost tearing her hair out in frustration. 

Akira-sensei met her as she walked away from the hospital. 

“You came back, I told you they’d let us know when there is a change.” Akira-sensei smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Then what are you doing back, sensei?” Kiyoko raised her eyebrows. 

Akira-sensei laughed and put her arm around Kiyoko’s shoulders, leading her away from the hospital. 

“We need to begin your training. You’ve already lost several precious days before your match.” Akira-sensei said, avoiding Kiyoko’s question. 

Kiyoko frowned, but ended up getting distracted anyway. “I barely won my prelim fight, sensei. Do you really think I can win the third test?” 

Akira-sensei nodded and smiled. “I do. Because I have a plan for you, my cute little genin.” 

Kiyoko looked up at her. “Uh-oh. That sounds… exciting and scary.” She laughed. 

Akira-sensei laughed. “It is exactly both those things in equal parts.” She agreed. 

They went out to a training ground after a quick stop at Kiyoko’s house to grab her things, Akira-sensei had her sit in the grass while they talked. 

“So what’s this plan?” Kiyoko asked, interested. 

Akira-sensei smiled. “Every shinobi has their niche, not just a set of attacks they are good at, but the thing that makes them unique and important when making up teams.”

“Is your niche causing trouble?” Kiyoko teased, tipping her head to the side innocently. 

Akira-sensei laughed. “You’re not entirely wrong, so I’ll let you get away with that, smart-ass. My niche is infiltration, reconnaissance, and assassination.” 

Kiyoko grinned. “That’s awesome!” Infiltration had such a cool air to it, she would love to be able to do something like that. And of course, reconnaissance, helping out the team, being the information gatherer, that was very appealing. Assassination was less interesting. Yes, it was part of a shinobi’s life, but Kiyoko hoped it wouldn’t come up very often. 

Akira-sensei grinned back and ran a hand through her short hair, “Yes it is.” She agreed easily. “And I’ve been thinking of what I would like all of you to be able to do. For you, my dear, I see you as what I would probably call… Shock and chaos.” 

Kiyoko laughed and pulled her knees up to her chest. “That sounds… Not as cool as your niche.” 

“Kiyoko,” Akira-sensei laughed, “It’s not about how cool something sounds. It’s about what you can do. With your speed you work well in a variety of circumstances. You have an average amount of chakra, but you regenerate it very quickly compared to most people. That means fast, strong attacks that you then retreat from will work best. Also, you have a natural knack for reading people. You can run in, risk yourself against new enemies with unknown abilities, read them, and bring that information back to your team.” 

Kiyoko’s eyes widened as Akira-sensei talked. It all sounded amazing the more she went on. “Could I really do all that?” She asked. 

Akira-sensei nodded, “You can, if you train and learn.” She smiled. 

“I will!” Kiyoko said excitedly. “Can I have an animal contract like you?” She asked instantly. 

Akira-sensei chuckled, “I think we should first focus on the things that can help you win the third round.”

“Oh.” Kyoko rocked back on the ground, laying down. She was instantly less excited about all this. 

Akira-sensei laughed and got up. “I assume you don’t want your gift in that case?” 

Kiyoko lifted her head. “Is it a real gift? Or a gift like telling me to run laps?” She’d been fooled by that promise from Akira-sensei before. 

“You tell me.” Akira sensei pulled out a scroll and summoned a weapon just like Ten-Ten did. 

Kiyoko sat up and made an ‘ohhh’ impressed sound as she saw a sword appear. 

“This was my first sword. I don’t really use it much anymore, so it can be yours if you’re willing to train for it.” Akira-sensei said, holding it out. 

It was about the length of Kiyoko’s arm and the blade was a dark grey color. The hilt was wrapped with red leather, probably more for practicality than decoration. There was the emblem of a stylized flower.

“What’s the flower there for?” She asked Akira-sensei.

“Well, the sword was made by my sensei’s family. Their emblem is a poppy.” Akira-sensei smiled fondly. 

“Awesome.” Kiyoko picked up the sword and held it carefully. She’d never tried to pick up anything like it though and she felt clumsy holding it. 

Akira-sensei chuckled as she watched her pick it up. “We’re going to start your training with something less lethal.” She summoned a training sword. “We’ll get you accustomed to the weight, then I’ll teach you how to put your wind chakra into the blade like myself and Asuma-sensei do.” Akira-sensei grinned happily. 

Now she was talking, those sounded like very amazing skills. Kiyoko nodded eagerly, picking up the training sword. 

They trained all day and for a while Kiyoko was able to forget about how much she was worried about Shiori. When they finished she was tired and didn’t think she’d be able to use her arms ever again. But Akira-sensei promised they’d do it again tomorrow, and if she couldn’t use her arms she’d have to use her feet. Akira-sensei apparently was taking out all her aggravation about Shiori’s condition on Kiyoko. Kiyoko wouldn’t let Shiori forget it either. 

She made her way home and sighed sadly. As she made her way home she kicked a little rock in her path. Not even the sight of Iruka-sensei and Takara-san walking hand in hand down the street cheered her. 

If only Shiori would be okay… and Masaru healed. She didn’t like everyone being hurt and in trouble. If only… Kiyoko sighed. It was more growing pains as her father called them. Realizing that everything wouldn’t be as free and easy as it was back in school. 

“Oh dear, there’s that Kiyoko looking sad again.” Kiba’s voice came from behind her. 

Kiyoko picked her head up and turned around, forcing a smile on her face. 

Akamaru was riding on Kiba’s head and gave a little bark to say he agreed with Kiba. 

“What should we do about it?” He asked his pup, reaching up to scratch him. 

Akamaru gave several thoughtful yips and Kiyoko had to giggle. 

“What did he say?” She asked. 

“That you need some good food and a scratch behind the ears as well, but we’ll ignore that last part.” He grinned. 

Kiyoko laughed and smiled, “Food sounds good.” She nodded. 

“Did you get one of these?” He held up a coupon to the ramen shop. “Iruka-sensei has been giving them out like candy to everyone from our year.” He chuckled. 

“I only got one.” Kiyoko giggled.

“Then allow me to treat you with my extra one?” Kiba said, his voice cracking slightly at the end. 

“That would be nice.” Kiyoko agreed with a happy blush. There were some good things about growing up maybe. 

They walked down the street, Kiba asking nicely if there had been any change in Shiori’s condition but when Kiyoko shook her head he quickly started talking about Hinata and how she’d started to heal up. 

Kiyoko smiled happily, at least someone was getting better. 

When they sat down at the counter of Ramen Ichiraku, Teuchi-san smiled at them. 

“Oh, out for a date? Going to treat your girlfriend?” He teased with a wink.

Kiyoko blushed, but Kiba blushed harder which made her giggle. 

“He is going to treat me, and he did kinda ask me out….” Kiyoko smiled at Kiba shyly. 

Kiba looked at her, whipping his head around so fast that Akamaru was flung off his hair. “You mean it? This is a date?” He asked, his voice doing that cracking thing again. 

Akamaru had jumped to the floor and started to wail, objecting to having been thrown off. 

But Kiyoko wasn’t really listening, she was smiling happily at Kiba and nodded, “Sure.” She agreed, her voice a little squeakier than she would have liked. 

“That’s great!” Kiba said excitedly, then flailed when Akamaru jumped up from the ground and missed Kiba’s head, flying straight into his face. 

Kiyoko laughed so hard she almost fell off her stool, watching Akamaru use Kiba’s open mouth as a foot hold so he could climb up to his favorite spot. 

Teuchi-san frowned, “Go wash your mouth! No ramen until you have a clean mouth without dog feet!” He shooed Kiba away. 

Kiyoko covered her mouth, trying to stop her laughter. “Hurry up. You can go to my house, my sister will be home and painting.” She said, giving him a gentle push. 

“I’ll be right back!” Kiba said, jumping up. 

“You’d better be. You can’t leave me alone long on our first date.” Kiyoko blushed. Only realizing as Kiba sped away that she had implied there would be a second date. She grinned to herself. Sounded quite nice actually. 

After they’d had their meal they went for a walk, Kiyoko offering to walk Kiba home since if he walked her home, she’d be home in two minutes. 

As they walked Kiba’s fingers gently brushed against Kiyoko’s hand. She giggled softly and took his hand in hers. 

“Thank you for cheering me up tonight. I really needed it.” She said softly. 

“I’m sorry things have been tough lately for your team.” He said, his nose wrinkling a little. 

She sighed, “I have a feeling things will only get rougher from here on out. I just need to learn to pick myself up when I feel down.” 

Kiba paused in his steps, giving her hand a squeeze as they stopped. “You don’t have to do that. You spend a lot of time keeping your team going, and not just your team, I’ve seen you involved in all the genin teams really. Without you, we’d all be depressed.” He smiled. “So anytime you need some cheering up, I’d be happy to help you. You don’t have to do it all by yourself.” 

Kiyoko’s chest felt tight and her heart started to pound. It felt so good to have him acknowledging her. She didn’t do it to be acknowledged of course, but it still was nice that he noticed. And wanted to help. 

With Akamaru and the moonlight as witnesses, she leaned forward and gave Kiba her first kiss. She pecked him lightly on the lips, too nervous to do anything more. Kiba made a little surprised yip sound, that she could have mistaken for Akamaru if she hadn’t felt him jump. 

She blushed and pulled away, “Sorry.” She said quickly. 

“No! It’s great.” Kiba said quickly and stepped close to her again. It was his turn to give her a tentative kiss. While he did, Akamaru put his nose to her forehead as well. 

Kiyoko was all red and fighting a giant grin and giggles when Kiba pulled back. Thankfully, Kiba also had a big grin on his face. 

She took Kiba’s hand again and tugged on him, continuing in their slow walk back to his house. There were definitely good things about growing up she decided. 

The next day Akira-sensei was drilling her mercilessly with the sword again. Masaru was with them and she had him working on his chakra control, running up and down trees and then across streams of water she made. 

By lunchtime Kiyoko wasn’t even sure she could lift the chopsticks to her mouth. But then Akira sensei brought out some bento boxes of her own making and Kiyoko couldn’t resist. 

They were filled with all her favorite things, and Masaru was filled with all his likes as well. 

“How did you know?” Kiyoko grinned and eagerly started eating.

“What can I say? I’m a good sensei.” Akira said with a chuckle and started eating from her own box. 

“So what’s the big plan for Masaru? If I’m a Shock and Chaos Troop, what is he?” Kiyoko asked Akira while they ate. 

Akira-sensei gave Kiyoko a look for putting her on the spot. But Masaru looked up with a cautiously eager expression. “Do I get a plan too?” He asked.

Akira-sensei’s expression softened and she smiled at him. “Of course. But that depends on you.”

He put down his food for a moment, “I’m listening.” 

Akira-sensei gave her hair a little tug, a tell that her students had learned meant she was nervous. “I want you to develop your healing skills, but not stick you in a hospital. I’d rather you be an offensive medical shinobi. Throwing earth around, getting into where you need to be and saving who needs to be saved. But more importantly, protecting people before they ever get hurt.” 

Kiyoko grinned happily. “That sounds amazing.” 

Masaru was quiet and it was clear that Akira-sensei was worried as she watched him. Then he looked up at her again, “Helping before someone got hurt. I like that part.” He nodded a little.

Akira-sensei didn’t totally relax as it wasn’t a very strong vote of support for her plan for him. But she did nod at him. “I won’t pick your path for you. There are other options we could explore if you want.” 

He sighed and picked up his food. “I know it’s only a short term problem, but how would an offensive medical nin win at something like the chunin exams? My skills would be useless.” 

Akira-sensei shook her head, “On the contrary, quickly immobilizing opponents would be your specialty.” 

Kiyoko grinned at Masaru and bumped shoulders with him. “I could totally use some of that.”

Masaru smiled and looked down at his bento. “I like that plan.” He said finally, much to Akira-sensei’s obvious relief. 

“Umm, how about Shiori?” Kiyoko asked. 

Both Masaru and Akira-sensei looked in the direction of the hospital before sighing and going back to their lunches. In another time Kiyoko would laugh at how similar those two were getting. 

“There are still things I need to know. I’ve got a general plan, but with the activation of her yureigan, I’ll need to talk to her first and see how it goes.” Akira-sensei said. 

Kiyoko nodded, that seemed fair. “Does Masaru get a summoning animal?” She asked, looking up again. 

Akira-sensei laughed, “They’re not pets you know, it costs chakra to summon them, and on the battlefield it can be a risky thing to do.”

Masaru rolled his eyes, “We know that. But do I?” He smiled at her. 

Akira-sensei chuckled. “Perhaps. In time. But how about you both work on perfecting the skills you already have instead of just getting new ones?” She said, putting down her empty bento box. “Back to work everyone!” 

Kiyoko sighed and Masaru gave her a look. 

“I blame you.” He said, wolfing down the last of his food.

Kiyoko did the same. “It’s not my fault!” She said with a mouth full of food. 

Akira-sensei picked up her training sword. “Ten-nine-eight…” 

Both genin scrambled to get out of the way. 

By the end of the next day Akira-sensei had moved Kiyoko on to a real blade and she had Masaru starting to make earthen domes everywhere. 

The two genin trudged home, both dirty and tired and sore. 

“Masaru! Kiyoko! She’s awake!” Emi said, running toward them with a grin. “But I want you to understand-”

They didn’t stay put to listen, they both ran off for the hospital without any further delay. 

Of course Kiyoko made it first, running for Shiroi’s room. 

Shiori still had her eyes bandaged and laid in bed, still looking like she was unconscious. But when Kiyoko got close she saw Shiori starting to stir. 

“Don’t try to move.” Kiyoko said, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

“Masaru’s mom said I’ve been here for days. But I’m still so tired…” Shiori complained, wiggling in bed a little.

“Well you’re heavily sedated.” Masaru said, entering the room. 

Kiyoko grinned at him. He must have broken a new speed record of his own. 

“Feels weird.” Shiori sighed. 

Masaru gently put a hand on Shiori’s hand, standing opposite on the bed from Kiyoko. 

“Shiori, do you remember what happened?” Kiyoko asked, remembering that sometimes people who had near death experiences didn’t even remember it when they woke up.

“Sadly yes.” Shiori frowned. 

“You were using your shadow sight, right? Did you get a look at who did it? We lost him. Not even the jounin teams could find a trace.” Masaru said. 

“I know exactly who did it. I just don’t know why…” Shiori said, sounding sleepy again.

Kiyoko frowned and looked up when the door opened. “Akira-sensei! Shiori is awake!” 

Akira-sensei smiled. “I heard. I’m very glad you’re back with us Shiori.” She said, standing next to Masaru at Shiori’s side. “How are you feeling?” 

“She can remember who attacked her!” Kiyoko said eagerly. 

Akira-sensei put a hand on Shiori’s shoulder. “Who was it?” 

Shiori shifted in bed a bit, “My twin brother…” She said with a yawn. 

Kiyoko’s jaw dropped and Masaru also looked shocked. “You have a twin?” She asked Shiori.

“Are you sure?” Akira-sensei asked, her voice sounding worried. 

Shiori nodded, “I mean, I haven't seen Shou in years. But the person who stabbed me called me ‘sister’. He was close to my age… I am pretty sure.” 

“Tell me about him,” Akira-sensei said, rubbing Shiori’s shoulder softly to put her at ease.

Shiori frowned and shrugged as best she could in a bed. “We were best friends before I came. We played and trained and did everything together.” 

“Trained? But I thought the Kagemura weren’t supposed to have shinobi except you?” Kiyoko said. 

Shiori smiled a little, “We aren’t but we do have a ‘house guard’ to protect the compound. My father was the commander and Shou was going to take that job someday too. So we both trained hard for it.” 

“Nice loop-hole.” Masaru smiled a little. 

Shiori nodded and then turned her head toward Akira-sensei, “If they heard about my kekkei genkai… I don’t know. Maybe they sent Shou to kill me. They might have that happen rather than let Konoha have our family power.” 

Kiyoko couldn’t even imagine the pain that Shiori must feel when she said that. And Shiori did look pained, the color faded from her face and her bottom lip trembled a little. 

“What kind of family would do that?” Masaru sounded disgusted.

“The kind that sends a child as a hostage to enemy territory to be raised and trained.” Shiori definitely sounded bitter now. 

“Screw them!” Kiyoko said, jumping to her feet and the chair she’d been sitting in flew backwards. “Your parents, your brother, your entire clan. Screw them all. You’re a shinobi of Konoha! You’re my teammate and my sister! We’re not going to let them hurt you anymore! I’m not going to stand for it.” Kiyoko yelled. 

“Kiyoko, settle down before you get us kicked out.” Akira-sensei smiled at her. “We all feel the same way, don’t worry.” She nodded at Kiyoko.

Kiyoko picked up her chair and sat down with a loud disgruntled huff, squeezing Shiori’s hand. Shiori smiled from the bed, looking better already. 

“Now, Shiori,” Akira-sensei said. “If you had the power to handle this yourself, what would you do?” 

The ‘if’ was very evident. Akira-sensei wasn’t promising Shiori could handle it or even have any say in what happened. But Kiyoko smiled when at least she tried to give Shiori a chance. 

“Part of me wants to ignore it,” Shiori sighed, “Of course I want to fight back too. I guess more than anything I want to know more before I’d act. Why did they send him, did they send him, do they know what he did, do they realize this could be seen as an act of war? I need to know more.” Shiroi sounded weary. 

Akira-sensei squeezed her hand. “I agree with needing to know more. I’m going to ask the Hokage for permission to visit the Kagemura compound and speak with your clan. If he gives me permission we’ll go from there.”

Shiori tried to sit up again and leaned toward Akira-sensei. “Be careful!” She said urgently, but her voice was laced with the sleepiness of someone on drugs. 

Akira-sensei leaned forward and put a kiss on her forehead. “Rest for now, Shiori.”

Shiori sighed and nodded before turning to Kiyoko, “Did… did I get into the third round?” She asked softly. 

“Yes, you did.” Kiyoko smiled at her.

“I wasn’t sure if they’d disqualify me.” Shiori sounded barely awake.

“You still have nearly a month to prepare, just rest and we’ll worry about training when you’re awake.” Akira promised her.

With a last sigh, Shiori fell asleep.

Akira-sensei motioned the other two into the hallway. “I need to speak with the Hokage now. I should be back in a few days but you don’t get to slack off in the meantime. I’m going to task my brother with training you all.”

“You have a brother too?” Kiyoko said. Did everyone have secret brothers?!

Akira-sensei laughed, “Yes, and he’s not as charming as I am. But he’ll keep you all going. So be good for me and train hard. Look after each other.” She smiled and hugged Kiyoko then ruffled Masaru’s hair before leaving. 

“Not as charming? My legs are already falling off…” Masaru complained with a sigh.

“Tell me about it. If he trains us any harder I think we’ll be puddles when she gets back.” Kiyoko sighed and went back in to sit with Shiori. 


	27. Kazuo…sensei?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Shiori

Hospital beds were the worst; no matter how many times Shiori shifted, it was impossible to get comfortable, and every shift made the stitches in her stomach twinge.

“This is horrible,” Shiori groaned, allowing herself a moment of self-pity.

“I could get Emi,” Masaru offered from his seat beside her bed. “I bet she’d be willing to knock you out again. She seems to really enjoy that,” he muttered that last part under his breath and Kiyoko laughed.

“No,” Shiori said, smiling. “Did your sister say anything about when I might be able to leave?”

“No, but generally the more cooperative you are, the sooner you get to leave,” Masaru said. “But you have just been stabbed so they’ll probably keep you a few more days.”

Shiori sighed and would have rolled her eyes if they weren’t still bandaged shut. “This is an inopportune time to be stuck in bed; the third round is less than a month away. As it stands, I don’t know if I could defeat anyone that’s left.”

“Well, you could definitely defeat me,” Kiyoko said.

Shiori laughed, careful not to jolt her stomach too much. “I don’t think so; the only hope I’d have would be to catch you in a genjutsu and you already know all my tricks.”

“You can both definitely take Naruto,” Masaru said. “So long as he doesn’t eat anything too dangerous before the match.”

Shiori smiled, she didn’t need to see Masaru’s face to know he was smirking. She could hear the amusement in his voice, even over the slight bitterness that lingered there from his own defeat. 

“I think you could both probably take Sasuke, Shino, and that guy from Otogakure as well,” Masaru continued.

“I do  _ not _ want to fight Shino,” Kiyoko said and Shiori could hear her clothes rustle as she shuddered at the thought. 

“Maybe Akira-sensei would let you spend some time with Kai so you could get over your fear of bugs,” Masaru suggested, his tone was teasing.

“I’m not  _ afraid _ of bugs,” Kiyoko protested. “They’re just … creepy.”

“Right,” Masaru said flatly. “Creepy.”

“It’s the team from Suna that I’m most worried about,” Kiyoko said, bowling over Masaru’s judgement. “We might be able to take the girl with the fan - Temari, right? And the guy with the kabuki paint; I don’t remember his name. But the one with the gourd, that beat Lee?”

Her voice trailed off and Shiori could almost feel the unease radiating off her. 

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and Sasuke will take him out,” Shiori said, thinking of the match line-ups in her head. “Kiyoko, you should focus on finding a way to get around that Oto-nin’s sound attacks, as quick as you are, you can’t outrun sound.”

“Yeah,” Kiyoko said, sounding nervous. “Akira-sensei has some ideas on that, but none of them will work if I don’t improve enough to use them.”

“You can do it,” Shiori said, her voice quiet but confident. 

“I’d feel better if this was going to be a team effort,” Kiyoko said, trying to pass it off as a joke and failing.

“Well, we’ll be supporting you from afar so think of it that way,” Masaru suggested.

Kiyoko laughed. “Team moral support, I like it!”

Shiori could hear Masaru shifting in his seat and she frowned. Her first opponent was Izumi. Part of her was excited that she was guaranteed a chance to get revenge for Masaru. Another part of her was worried that she wouldn’t be able to beat the Kusa-nin; or, if she could, what effect that would have on Masaru. She could tell he was still beating himself up about the loss, even though the odds were significantly stacked against him. 

“Any advice?” Shiori asked.

“Don’t let her catch you in razor wire?” Masaru suggested dryly. “Seriously though, your best bet is to trap her in a genjutsu immediately, if you can. We more or less know the skills of everyone from Konoha that will be competing, but the ninja from other Villages are still largely a mystery. Of all of them, we’ve probably seen the most of Izumi’s attacks but we still can’t be confident that we know everything she’s capable of.”

“We do know she’s a psychotic bitch,” Kiyoko muttered.

“Yeah,” Masaru agreed. “But that just proves my point; take her out quickly, ideally without even giving her the chance to attack you.”

Shiori nodded, his reasoning was sound. It was a good strategy for any opponent, really, but especially for an unknown.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if it came down to the two of us?” Kiyoko said.

“Yeah,” Shiori agreed. “By that point, we’d probably be so tired that we could settle it with a rock-paper-scissors fight.”

Kiyoko laughed. “That sounds like a great idea!”

Shiori heard the door to the room slide open and Emi’s now familiar footsteps approaching the bed. “Okay you three, it’s time for Shiori to get some more rest,” Emi said.

“Oh come on,” Kiyoko whined. “She’s not moving or anything.”

“Doctor’s orders,” Emi said in a tone that was a little too similar to Moriko’s for anyone’s comfort. “Besides, weren’t you going to do some training with your dad today?”

“Oh yeah,” Kiyoko said and Shiori heard the chair scrape against the floor as Kiyoko bounced to her feet. “I’ll see you later, okay, Shiori? Make sure you get lots of rest so we can start training together.”

Shiori smiled and nodded. “Sure, I can’t wait to see how much you've progressed.”

“Masaru, you want to come train with Dad and me?” 

“Can’t,” Masaru said. Shiori could tell he was trying to sound nonchalant but there was a hint of sullenness in his voice. “It’s time for another treatment on my arms.”

“Oh,” Kiyoko said softly before perking up again. “Well, if you want to come later, we’ll be at training ground 10.”

“Sounds good,” Masaru said.

Kiyoko carefully hugged Shiori then scampered out of the room.

“Emi,” Shiori said as she heard her and Masaru start to leave. “If I promise not to move an inch, could you take me off any sedatives you have me on? It’s messing with my chakra and I want to practice my shadow sight jutsu.”

Emi sighed. “That’s not a great idea, Shiori; even if you’re not moving, practicing any kind of jutsu will slow your rate of healing.”

“Come on, Emi,” Masaru said. “She’s got the third exam in less than a month, let her practice a little.”

Emi sighed again. “I’ll check with mom and see what she thinks,” she said finally.

“Thanks,” Shiori said.

“No promises,” Emi emphasized before she and Masaru left the room.

Apparently, Moriko had felt that it was safe enough to let Shiori practice her shadow sight jutsu for a few hours, at least. Shiori was comfortable enough with it now that she was able to let her mind wander a bit while she experimented with what affect different chakra levels had on the range and quality of her vision. The more chakra she put into the jutsu, the clearer things became but it also narrowed her vision considerably. Less chakra meant a wider range of vision, but any details were lost.

Shiori expanded her vision to cover the entire room; it was a bit bizarre to see herself lying on the bed. Even through the dark mist, she could tell that she looked paler than usual. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like being weak, and hurt, and stuck in a stupid hospital bed while everyone else was out doing things. She couldn’t even find a way to deactivate the yureigan; something like that should be instinctive, shouldn’t it? It also annoyed her that she had to rely so thoroughly on Akira-sensei to help her. She trusted Akira-sensei of course, a lot more than she’d ever expected to when she’d first been assigned to her team, but it still hurt her pride a little to be so helpless.

The sound of the door opening distracted Shiori from her pouting and she used her shadow sight jutsu to briefly focus on the tall man that stepped into the room. His short brown hair was a mess, like he’d walked to the hospital through a windstorm, and his clothes looked permanently wrinkled. Despite his shabby appearance, however, Shiori could see a familiar intelligence gleaming in his blue eyes.

“You’re Akira-sensei’s brother,” she said, not bothering to turn her head towards him. “Aren’t you?”

He chuckled and tilted his head to the side. “And you’re her new pet.”

“I’m her student.”

He shrugged. “Same difference.” He took a seat in one of the chairs by the bed and leaned back, appraising her. “How did you know it was me?”

“It’s a jutsu designed by one of my predecessors,” Shiori answered. “It allows me to see through the shadows in the room.”

“Interesting,” he said, leaning forward as he rested an elbow on his knee. “I assume the stronger the shadows are, the more effective the jutsu is, yes?”

“Not necessarily,” Shiori said. “I’ve used it in a variety of different levels of lighting. It seems the effectiveness of the jutsu has more to do with the chakra poured into it than the quality of the shadows I use.”

“What are the limitations?” He asked, and for a moment Shiori couldn’t help but think how bizarre it was to discuss this with someone she didn’t know at all.

“I need a shadow to start from,” Shiori said after a pause. “The more shadows there are, the broader my range of vision. However, more shadows mean I have to focus more on what I actually want to see. If I’m not careful, the images can be overwhelming.”

“Can you use it in combat?”

Shiori shook her head. “No, it takes too much concentration. If I used it in combat, it would take so long to make sense of the images that I’d probably be dead before I saw anything useful.”

“Hn, disappointing,” he said, leaning back in his chair again. “So, what else can you do?”

Shiori shrugged and listed off the jutsu she knew.

“No, no,” he said, waving a hand as if to brush away her words. “Anyone can make a bunch of water fly out of their mouth. Can you do anything that’s actually interesting?”

“You mean like seeing how people could die?” Shiori snapped, her patience running thin.

“Exactly,” he said, sounding far too excited. “Anything else like that?”

“Hold on,” Shiori said, pushing herself up a little so she could sit more comfortably. “I don’t even know your name and you want to know everything about what I can do?”

“My name is Kazuo,” he said as if introductions were the most tedious things in the world. “And how am I supposed to judge your level if you don’t tell me what you’re capable of?”

“Look, Kazuo-sensei-”

“Never call me that again,” Kazuo interrupted.

Shiori paused, taken aback by his sharp tone. She was beginning to have the sinking suspicion that Akira was the sane one in her family. “The fact is,” she continued after a moment. “That’s about all I can do. I’m good with controlling my chakra, I’m passable with taijutsu, and I know some basic ninjutsu. Other than that, my only real strength is in genjutsu.”

Kazuo nodded. “That’s to be expected, you’re a Kagemura. Tell me about your genjutsu.”

Shiori sighed but did as he asked, describing both the basic genjutsu techniques she’d learned at the Academy and the ones she’d been developing on her own. 

“See?” Kazuo said, leaning forward once again. “Now you’re getting interesting. You know the difference between your average genjutsu and Kagemura genjutsu, yes?”

Shiori nodded. “Most genjutsu is static,” she said. “A predetermined illusion the user implants into a target’s mind using chakra to manipulate neural impulses.”

“Precisely,” Kazuo said when she paused. “Any standard genjutsu, regardless of complexity, is bound by the original intent of the user at the moment it was cast. And Kagemura genjutsu?” 

“Can be manipulated after it’s cast. It isn’t bound by the initial intent of the user.”

Kazuo nodded. “This ability to manipulate genjutsu is, I suspect, part of your clan’s kekkei genkai,” he said, sounding excited. “Your yureigan is the most obvious part, certainly, but the mastery over genjutsu is likely part of it as well.”

“But most - if not all - Kagemura can cast genjutsu like this,” Shiori said. “But the yureigan was eradicated so how can they be connected?”

“Obviously, the yureigan was  _ not _ eradicated,” Kazuo said pointedly. “And that really only strengthens my argument. The strength of a kekkei genkai varies from person to person. Take the Hyuuga’s byakugan, for example. Most Hyuuga possess the byakugan from birth, but some are born with a stronger, more impressive version than others. The same could be said of any trait; some are born with excellent vision, others require glasses from a young age, others still are born blind.I believe that the ability to unlock and successfully activate the yureigan is simply the result of being born with a  _ stronger _ version of your clan’s kekkei genkai.”

Shiori sat in silence for a while, thinking of what Kazuo had said; it made sense, but she wasn’t quite sure how it was supposed to help her.

“Okay,” she said. “Assuming you’re right and most - if not every - Kagemura is born with a kekkei genkai, but only certain Kagemura have a strong enough version to activate the yureigan, how does that help me?”

Kazuo sighed. “Try to keep up,” he said and Shiori had to bite back a retort. “This helps you because instead of treating your genjutsu prowess and your Yureigan as separate abilities, we’re going to treat them as pieces of a whole; thereby allowing us to unlock the greater potential in both. So, first things first, let’s get those bandages off your eyes.”

“No,” Shiori said, leaning away from him. “I still don’t know how to deactivate the yureigan.”

“That’s fine,” Kazuo said, either not understanding or choosing to ignore Shiori’s concern. “We’re going to need it activated anyway if we’re going to test my theory.”

“No,” Shiori repeated. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to watch someone die in a dozen different ways? It’s horrible!”

“I understand that your activation was traumatic, but you’re going to have to get over it.”

“I get that,” Shiori said, her exasperation rising. “But you might give me more than a few days.”

“Are all of you children this disappointing?” Kazuo asked, sighing.

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve been coddled,” Kazuo said. “No, more than that, your potential has been stifled. You are a scion of the Kagemura; possibly the only person alive able to use one of the most feared doujutsu in the world and you’re afraid of yourself. It’s sad; bordering on pathetic, actually.”

“You-”

Kazuo held up a hand to silence her. “You’re here, not because your clan lost a battle but because your clan’s abilities were so valuable that the Second Hokage couldn’t bring himself to destroy you  _ after _ you lost the battle. Make no mistake, Senju Tobirama was not a soft man and had any other clan threatened the stability of his brother’s legacy he would have personally destroyed them to the last child. You, little girl, have within you the potential to become the most powerful kunoichi the world has seen in an age but in order to accomplish that, you need to realize one simple fact: fear is your greatest weapon.”

Shiori leaned back against the pillows, considering what Kazuo had said.

“Like any weapon,” he continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil. “You must learn to understand and control fear before it can be turned against your enemies. That’s what the greatest members of your clan did in the past and that’s what I’m offering to show you now.”

“And if I don’t want to become like the greatest members of my clan?” She asked quietly, thinking of the boogeymen mothers in Konoha still threatened their children with to get them to behave.

“Then you’re not fulfilling your purpose here,” Kazuo said bluntly. “And, more importantly, you’re wasting your potential to become whatever you want to become. Do you want to be strong? Horror can defeat even the mightiest enemy. Want to protect those you love? An enemy paralyzed by fear can’t stick a kunai into your teammate. Only concerned about your own survival? Make the world too afraid to even think of attacking you. Do as I say, and I’ll not only get you through the chunin exams, I’ll make sure you can handle anything that comes your way.”

“And what do you get out of this?” Shiori asked, trying to sort through everything he’d just said and failing. It was too much. 

“You’re my sister’s student,” Kazuo said. “She wants you to succeed, so I want you to succeed. And,” he continued. “You’re unique in Konoha. You offer me the opportunity to study abilities no one outside of your clan has been able to examine in generations.”

Shiori sat silently, her head bowed as she thought about what he’d said. She’s spent so long trying to get her friends and classmates to forget the stories they’d heard about the Kagemura. As much as she wanted to protect her clan, as much as she wanted to be the best kunoichi she could, she might want her friends even more.

“I don’t know if I want to become that,” she said quietly.

“Truly skilled ninja,” Kazuo said, guessing her meaning, “have two faces. When you’re in battle, or on a mission, be the personification of horror. On your own time, be whomever you want.”

Shiori had asked Kazuo to come back tomorrow; after she’d had a chance to think about his offer. He didn’t seem pleased, and Shiori didn’t love the idea of delaying her training any more, but it wasn’t like they could really get started before she was released from the hospital anyway. Part of her was tempted to agree to Kazuo’s strategy, if only to gain a better understanding of her clan and their abilities. The shroud of secrecy around the Kagemura was a constant source of annoyance for Shiori. It made sense that they’d send their sacrifice with little information to share, should their loyalty shift during their captivity, but what was she supposed to do in a situation like this? If her yureigan had activated in a real battle, she could very well have died because she didn’t know how to deactivate it.

Another part of her was concerned about what might lie down that path; aside from knowledge. Historically, Kagemura who embraced their power wholeheartedly were not considered heroes.

There was a knock at the door and Shiori spread her shadow sight over the room. “Come in,” she said, smiling as she recognized Neji.

“Would you like company?” He asked, opening the door.

Shiori nodded and held out a hand to him as he walked closer.

“How are you?” He asked, taking her hand and sitting by her bedside.

“Better,” she answered. “The doctors are considering accelerating my healing so I can actually start preparing for the third round.”

“You’re still going to participate?” Neji asked, his thumb absently tracing a pattern on her knuckles.

“Of course,” she said. “If nothing else, I can learn a lot from facing the remaining genin in the arena. Perhaps I’ll even face you,” she added with a smile.

Neji arched an eyebrow. “Feeling competitive?”

Shiori laughed softly and shook her head. “Not really; it would be an interesting match, I think. Though I doubt I could stand using my current strategy against you.”

“What’s your current strategy?”

“I’ve been speaking with Akira-sensei’s brother,” she said with a sigh. “He thinks I should find a way to combine my yureigan with my genjutsu abilities - find some way to use fear itself as a weapon.”

“Is that what you’re planning to do?” Neji asked.

“I don’t know,” Shiori admitted.

“You are a Kagemura, Shiori,” he said. “Running from that won’t do you any good.”

“True,” she said. “But I don’t know if I’m ready to embrace it.” She squeezed his hand. “It scares me. My clan has earned its dark reputation.”

“You are a light in this world,” Neji said quietly. “You gave up everything to protect your clan. Embracing your abilities won’t change you who are.”

Shiori’s heart fluttered at the sincerity in his voice; the almost reverent way he said ‘light’. 

“How can you be so sure?” She asked, her voice almost a whisper, as if she was afraid he would admit that he wasn’t. “How can you know I won’t become a nightmare?”

“Because I know you,” Neji said, his voice still quiet but firm. “This is a nightmare,” he said, gesturing to the room around them. “You’re here, hurt; you almost died. Do whatever you need to in order to protect yourself. Nothing scares me more than the thought of you not being safe.”

“Neji,” Shiori’s breath caught in her throat at his words and she clung tightly to his hand. She didn’t know how to respond to that, didn’t have the words to express how deeply she felt the same. “You give me so much hope,” she said finally, her voice barely audible. “Thank you.”


	28. Shiori’s Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Akira

Akira left Shiori’s hospital room with a heavy weight on her shoulders. Seeing her student, weak and sedated but acting so strong, nearly broke Akira’s heart. No one should have to calmly discuss the possibility of their family trying to murder them; especially someone so young.

She rounded the corner to find Kakashi chuckling as Naruto dashed away from Ebisu. “You’re having Ebisu-sensei train Naruto?” She asked, stopping beside the silver-haired jounin.

Kakashi nodded. “Naruto needs a lot of work on the basics and Ebisu-sensei excels at teaching the basics.”

“I almost wish I could watch those two trying to drive each other insane,” Akira said wistfully. “But instead, I need your help.”

Kakashi glanced at her, a suspicious glint in his eye. “With what?”

“I need you to help me convince the Hokage to send someone to the Kagemura compound immediately.

Kakashi’s look goes from suspicious to incredulous. “The same Hokage you’ve spent the past few days harassing about this very issue?”

“Yes.”

“And we’re talking about the same Kagemura compound that Konoha shinobi are forbidden from entering?”

“Yes.”

“And the ‘someone’ you mentioned is you, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Kakashi sighed. “One more question: Why?”

Akira looked at Kakashi, intentionally dropping her characteristic smirk so he could see how serious she was. “Shiori says her brother is the one who tried to kill her.”

Kakashi was silent for a moment, seemingly processing what Akira had just said. “Let’s go.”

Akira waited, standing in front of the Hokage’s desk with as much patience and humility as she could muster. She’d just finished explaining, in depth, everything she knew about the attack on Shiori and why sending Akira - Shiori’s sensei - to speak with the Kagemura about the attack was the best option.

The Hokage studied her, the look on his face thoughtful as though he were weighing more than just what she’d said.

“So, Shiori believes her brother is behind the attack?” The Hokage repeated thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Akira answered.

“Kiba and Shikamaru were unable to track the assailant for long,” the Hokage leaned back in his chair. “Nor were Kakashi’s ninken able to pick up the trail.”

“Regardless of who the assailant is, we need to meet with the Kagemura,” Akira said, reiterating the point she’d been making since Shiori was attacked. “We need their help to train Shiori to use the yureigan. And if they are behind this, we need to be certain.”

“Hokage-sama,” Kakashi said from where he was standing near the door. “If I may venture an opinion?”

The Hokage nodded and motioned for him to continue.

“I agree with Akira,” he said. “With things as they are in the Village right now, we can’t afford to ignore an attack like this. The idea of the Kagemura aligning themselves with Orochimaru isn’t as far-fetched as we might wish. It is because of this possibility that I would like to accompany her to the compound.”

Akira glanced at him, surprised, and trying to decide if he was bullshitting in order to help her, or if he was actually serious about his suspicions. She hadn’t considered the possibility that Orochimaru might be tied to this; but now that he’d said it, she had to admit he could be right.

“Hm,” the Hokage took a deep breath before nodding. “Very well, you two may travel to the Kagemura compound. I will send a messenger bird right away to inform them of your visit. Hopefully they won’t object too strongly. If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed.”

The sun had fallen behind the treeline by the time Akira spotted the walls of the Kagemura compound. Wary of alarming the reclusive clan, she and Kakashi slowed their pace to a walk as they approached. The Kagemura compound was, at first glance, largely what Akira had expected. Surrounded by a wall with guards lining the top and a single gate in and out; it was rather intimidating.

“Thanks again for coming,” Akira said, glancing at Kakashi.

“If I’d let you come alone, you probably would have started a war,” Kakashi said, his voice a mixture of teasing and seriousness.

“I would not,” Akira responded.

“So, if they did send Shiori’s brother to kill her, you’ll just thank them for the information and go on your merry way?” He asked, arching an eyebrow at her. “And if they show no concern for Shiori’s well-being, you’ll just accept that without insulting or attacking anyone?”

“Okay,” Akira said, holding up her hand. “You’ve made your point. I’ll try to control myself.”

“Please do.”

Akira rolled her eyes in response and the two fell silent as the shadow of the wall loomed over them. The guards above watched them pass the gates in silence and Akira felt a prickle of unease travel down her spine. A woman about Akira’s age met them inside the gates. She was elegantly beautiful, with long ebony hair and skin nearly as white as the simple kimono she was wearing. She greeted Kakashi and Akira with a polite bow, her grey eyes never leaving their faces.

“Welcome,” she said, and when she smiled Akira couldn’t deny how similar she looked to Shiori. “I am Kagemura Shizuka.”

“We were surprised to hear that you were making the journey here,” Shizuka said as she led Akira and Kakashi through the compound. The streets were dark and deserted, as though everyone had decided to hide in their homes until the intruders were gone. “With Shiori in Konoha, we thought you would honor the Second Hokage’s agreement.”

Akira clenched her fists but a gesture from Kakashi was enough to keep her in check.

“The Third Hokage thought you would appreciate the courtesy of us coming in person to discuss the attack on Shiori,” Kakashi said calmly.

Shizuka turned to him, every gesture as elegant as a dance. “Of course; we are concerned about Shiori’s well-being. After all, she has made such a great sacrifice for the good of the Kagemura.” Her voice was calm, almost soothing as she led them through the empty streets. “My sister, Sayaka, was the one who accompanied our dear cousin Shiori to Konoha,” Shizuka said. “You are Shiori’s sensei, are you not?”

Akira nodded, trying to ignore the tightness growing in her lungs. Something about this place set her on edge; though she was half convinced she was just trying to justify her dislike of the Kagemura.

Shizuka smiled, though Akira noded that the expression didn’t quite reach her steely grey eyes. “It is such a comfort to know that our dear Shiori has someone watching over her.” She stopped outside the door of a large house. “This is where Shiori’s father asked to meet you,” she continued, sliding open the door. “And your timing is perfect; we were just sitting down to dinner.”

She motioned for Akira and Kakashi to enter then followed them inside. 

Akira’s pulse began to thud in her neck as she studied the image before her. A long table, set with food, sat in the middle of the room. At the head of the table was a lean man, his poise and commanding presence alone was enough to tell Akira that he was the Head of the Kagemura clan. Men and women filled the rest of the seats around the table, save for two at the foot of the table that had been left open. Presumably for Kakashi and Akira. Each face was turned toward them, studying them with a cold detachment that one would normally reserve for a crack in the sidewalk; something to notice, if it caught your eye, but nothing worth more than a passing glance. 

Akira’s hand shot forward, grabbing Kakashi’s arm as he took a step toward the table.

“Wait,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Allow me to introduce Kagemura Susumu,” Shizuka said, gesturing to the man at the head of the table. “And here is my sister, Sayaka,” she added, resting her hand on the shoulder of a woman a few seats to Susumu’s left. 

Kakashi glanced down at Akira’s hand on his arm and frowned slightly. “What is it?” He whispered.

“Please, sit down,” Shizuka said, gesturing to the empty chairs. “You must at least be thirsty, after your journey.”

“Something isn’t right,” Akira said, every instinct in her body telling her to get out immediately. A wave of cold ran through her, a sort of dread that she couldn’t explain. 

She took a step back, still holding Kakashi’s arm.

“Akira,” Kakashi whispered, trying to pull her toward the table. “If you cause a scene now, the best case scenario ends with us being kicked out without gaining any information.”

Akira glanced at him, her throat started to constrict with inexplicable terror. 

“Are you well, Akira-sensei?” Shizuka asked, her gentle voice drifted over the otherwise silent room.

“Of course,” Kakashi said, subtly pulling Akira toward the table. “She’s only concerned for Shiori’s well being, she’s a very involved sensei.”

Akira pulled her hand away from Kakashi and took another step back. She felt like a lead weight dropped into her stomach as she realized what was wrong. The room was filled with people, yet it was silent. Completely silent. No one was moving, no one was coughing or whispering. No one was breathing. 

Akira took another step back, trying to keep her panic in check. “What have you done?” She asked Shizuka.

“Akira,” Kakashi hissed, moving toward her. “What’s going on?” He grabbed her shoulders, leaning down so he could look her in the eye.

Akira’s panic reached a crescendo when she looked into Kakashi’s eye and found it as lifeless as the eyes of those around the table. “Kakashi-senpai?” She whispered.

The only response was Shizuka’s bell-like laughter ringing around the room as Kakashi’s skin began to rot away.

Akira screamed, pushing him away and stumbling backward; Akira turned to find that the people around the table had all become corpses. They sat, in moth-eaten clothes, around a table of rotted food, their skin dried and stretched over their bones. It was as if they’d sat down to dinner and just decided to remain, not eating, until they starved together. 

“Oh, you  _ are _ good,” Shizuka said, pushing the body of Susumu off his chair and lounging on it herself. “I really thought I’d be able to make you sit down for a feast with the dead.” She applauded Akira “You’ve ruined my fun, but I’m impressed.”

“What happened here?” Akira asked.

Shizuka smiled, her red lips parting to show a glint of white teeth. “I happened, of course,” she said. “Well, me and a few talented others.”

Akira’s breath stopped in her throat as Shizuka’s eyes changed. It was as if the pupils had been punctured, bleeding black into her grey irises and then farther until her entire eye was a void of darkness.

“You didn’t  _ really _ think the old hag managed to kill us all, did you?” Shizuka asked.

Akira forced herself to calm down; facing someone who clearly knew how to use their yureigan was not ideal, but it did suggest that much of what Akira was seeing was an illusion. She forced a burst of chakra to her mind, releasing herself from any genjutsu.

Unfortunately, the scene didn’t change as much as she’d hoped. The only real difference was that Kakashi’s corpse vanished; which was comforting but raised the very important question of where he’d gone. 

Akira looked back at Shizuka; the woman was still lounging on the chair, her black eyes staring unblinkingly at Akira.

“Why did you kill everyone?” Akira asked.

“I didn’t kill  _ everyone _ ,” Shizuka responded. “There are plenty of Kagemura still wandering around. And don’t even think about it,” she said, motioning to the sword on Akira’s back that Akira had just been planning to reach for. “That path ends abruptly and painfully for you,” Shizuka says, tapping her cheek right beneath her eye. “Trust me, I know.”

Akira frowned, her eyes darting around the room for anything to give her an edge.

“Now,” Shizuka said, stretching slightly. “We have two options. The first is that we fight. You get to see firsthand just how dangerous these pretty eyes of mine can be and I eventually kill you after toying with you mercilessly. The second is that we have a nice little chat. I’ll even answer some of your questions - if they suit me - and then I let you scurry off to save your partner. Because he’s certainly going to need a rescue.” She laughed and looked expectantly at Akira. “So, which sounds better? Both sound fun to me.”

“You either kill me, or we have a chat?” Akira repeated. “What’s the catch to option two?”

“The catch,” Shizuka says “Is that I don’t like to be controlled. So when someone tells me to do something - like torture and kill you, for example - I like to come up with a counter offer; just to keep things interesting.”

Akira’s eyes narrowed. Trusting this woman was absolutely out of the question. But as long as she was talking, Akira would have time to plan an attack; or at least an escape.

“Option two sounds much more gratifying,” Akira said.

Shizuka smiled widely. “As you like, you sure you don’t want to sit?”

Akira looked at the empty chairs, surrounded by corpses, and shook her head. “I’ll stand.”

Shizuka shrugged. “Suit yourself,” she looked down at the body of Kagemura Susumu with a disappointed look on her face. “Well, let’s start with a little history,” she said. “Once upon a time, there were two factions within the Kagemura. One faction, led by my uncle; this sad excuse for a man,” she motioned to Susumu with her foot, “were remorseful and apologetic. They bore the restrictions of Senju Tobirama with a martyr-like resolve and humility. Others,” she gestured to herself. “Were less than thrilled that our leaders had resigned us to a slow decay into meaninglessness.” 

Akira watched Shizuka, her body so tense that she was afraid to breathe.

“Now,” Shizuka continued. “It took years of careful scheming, but those of us who were discontent eventually managed to get enough support to steer the clan in a new, more exciting direction. Those who were willing to fall in line have been relocated to an area that allows more freedom. This,” she gestured to the bodies. “Is what happened to the problem children.”

Akira followed the motion of Shizuka’s hand; she was no stranger to death, she’d seen far more bodies than this on the battlefield, but coldblooded murder on this scale was disturbing.

“Oh, get that horrified look off your face,” Shizuka said in a tone that sounded like a mother scolding her child for trying to steal sweets. “They didn’t suffer at all; didn’t even realize what was happening.” She stood and walked toward the corpse she’d said was her sister. “It was a mercy, really,” she said, stroking her sister’s brittle hair. “They were too soft for what was coming.”

“What’s coming?” Akira asked.

“We’re going to have a party,” Shizuka said with a grin. “The problem,” she continued, her grin quickly vanishing. “Is that I don’t love all the guests we’re inviting. And my protests have been completely ignored.” She shook her head as if such rudeness were unthinkable. “I didn’t help murder half my clan to not have a say in the direction we take,” she said.

Akira jumped as Shizuka clapped her hands together. “So,” Shizuka continued. “Now we’re back to the present and if things are to go according to plan, you and that handsome man you showed up with will both be dead soon.” Shizuka sounded cheerfully excited at the prospect. “Normally, I’d be all for that, but the ‘planners’ in my life need to be taught a lesson. So let’s disrupt things, just a bit.”

“If you really want to disrupt things,” Akira said. “Tell me what your clan is planning.”

Shizuka laughed. “You’re mistaking my intentions,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to stop what’s going to happen. I’m  _ so _ excited. I just don’t love who we’re playing with so I’m going to get a bit of revenge. Now, pay attention and I’ll show you how to deactivate the yureigan so you can show my sweet little cousin.”

Shizuka held up her hands and made a diamond-like sign; her thumb and forefinger coming together to form the outside of the diamond while her last three fingers curled against each other in the center. Akira watched as the black receded from Shizuka’s eyes. 

“The hand-sign will allow Shiori to activate and deactivate the doujutsu at will; if she lives long enough, she’ll eventually be able to accomplish that without hand-signs,” Shizuka said.

“Did you send her brother to kill her?” Akira asked.

Shizuka laughed again and shook her head. “Oh, you are really misunderstanding my role in this. No one sends Shou to do anything; he’s even harder to control than I am,” she chuckled again. “Why do you think her parents sent her to Konoha, anyway? With strict orders not to let her return, or even contact them? Shou’s been trying to kill Shiori since they were seven years old; sending her away was her parents’ last attempt to protect her.” 

Akira’s eyes widened, Shizuka wasn’t exactly a reliable source, but Akira could sense the truth in her words.

“Now,” Shizuka continued. “I’d love to chat more, but you’re going to want to find your friend before it’s too late. I promise, his host won’t be as kind to him as I’ve been to you.”

“Where is he?” Akira asked as her heart started racing.

“Close,” Shizuka answered. “And it’s a good thing too.” She spread her arms wide and began to fade into the shadows. “Better hurry.”

She was gone in an instant and Akira raced out of the building, drawing her sword as she went. If Akira only knew when Shizuka had captured her in the genjutsu, she might have an idea of where to look for Kakashi. The dozen of questions running around in her head, demanding attention like first-year Academy students, weren’t helping her focus, either.

She paused and took a deep breath, focusing her chakra and sending it outward, searching for Kakakshi’s familiar chakra signature. Her head turned to the right, it was faint, but she was sure she felt it in that direction. 

Akira raced through the compound; the streets that had looked deserted in Shizuka’s genjutsu were now clearly abandoned. Weathered shutters hung from broken windows, shards of glass and rubbish littered the ground; there were even a few animal bones scattered around. At least, Akira hoped they were animal bones. She didn’t stop to check. The compound had been abandoned for a long time; how had Konoha missed this?

Akira moved cautiously as she got closer to Kakashi’s chakra signature; the tension in her body rising as she heard the clash of metal on metal in one of the buildings ahead. She threw open the door to the building and ducked inside before recoiling almost immediately. The stench of death filled her nose and she nearly gagged. In the middle of the room, surrounded by partially-decayed corpses, Kakashi was locked in combat with a man wearing a Kagemura guard uniform.

The man’s grey eyes flickered towards Akira and he smirked before turning back to Kakashi. He ducked under an attack and retreated into the shadows. To Akira’s surprise, Kakashi stayed where he was, breathing heavily but not pursuing the Kagemura. He didn’t look injured and Akira took a cautious step forward. That step was all it took to catch his attention and he turned to her, blade at the ready. One look at his face was enough to tell Akira that whatever he was seeing, it wasn’t her.

She took a step back, holding her unarmed hand out as if trying to ward him away. “Kakashi,” she said, hoping that he didn’t see her as an enemy.

Her hopes were dashed as he rushed toward her, a murderous glint in his eye. 

Akira swore and raised her sword, blocking Kakashi’s attack and moving backward, careful to keep her footing amongst the corpses littering the ground. A whispered stream of curses accompanied each of her parries as Kakashi attacked viciously and Akira tried to think of a way to end the genjutsu on him without either of them dying. 

If she was honest with herself, Akira knew she couldn’t beat Kakashi in a straight taijutsu fight. Not that she’d ever admit that to his face. Unfortunately, that meant that her chances of getting close enough to release the genjutsu with a jolt of chakra was unlikely. At least if she wanted to avoid serious injury. 

She sighed, an idea coming to mind. It was a long shot, but it was really the only shot. She ducked under another attack and gathered her chakra before feinting with her sword, using a long, upward cut to distract Kakashi as she stepped forward just slightly. 

Kakashi grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, kneeing her in the stomach and stabbing forward with the kunai in his other hand. Quick reflexes were all that saved Akira as she raised her free arm to block the kunai, allowing it to sink into her forearm instead of her neck. Ignoring the pain of the cut - and the more intense pain in her still healing torso - Akira looked up, catching Kakashi’s gaze. A quick release of chakra was all it took and he was hers; trapped in a genjutsu of her own making. 

He froze and Akira slumped slightly, his hand was still gripping her wrist, his kunai still in her arm, but he was no longer trying to kill her. Despite the pain in her chest that was making it difficult to breath - broken ribs took far too long to heal - Akira managed to chuckle. She’d beaten a Kagemura genjutsu with one of her own.

She released her genjutsu and Kakashi tensed. “Akira?” He asked, trying to make sense of the position they were in.

“Welcome back,” she said, not quite managing to completely mask the pain in her voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we weren't totally evil and left you on a cliffhanger. Hahaha. See you all next week with Kakashi POV!


	29. These Kagemura Sure Are Something...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi POV!

“Akira?” He looked at her after taking in the room. The world he’d been in had faded away and the Kagemura he’d been fighting had been replaced with Akira. 

“Welcome back.” She said, her face pale and traced with pain. 

Kakashi looked at her in horror. He looked down his arm to where he’d stabbed her with his blade. 

“Damn.” He let go of the knife and pulled off his long sleeve shirt and jacket. He held his shirt up to her wound and pulled the knife out carefully. With a skill that came from years of practice, he tied his shirt around her wound, making a knot over the worst part.

“So that’s a Kagemura genjutsu.” He said, realizing in vague terms what had happened. 

“I’m afraid so.” Akira winced. “I was in one too. She got us the second we came in.” 

“Like two green rookies.” He frowned under his mask. 

“Like two people who were attacked by the best genjutsu masters in the known world.” Akira corrected him. 

Kakashi sighed, “That’ll have to do for now.” He said, indicating her wound. 

She nodded in agreement. “We need to search for that guy,” Akira said with a frown. 

“‘That guy’ isn’t that far away…” A voice said from somewhere in the room. 

Kakashi picked up his bloody knife again, wondering if this was another genjutsu.

“I’m willing to go back to Kohona as your prisoner if you don’t kill me. Or hurt me. Like at all. I can’t stand pain.” Said the voice. The voice seemed to come from various places around the room at the same time.

“He’s inside the shadows…” Akira said, a touch of awe in her voice. 

Kakashi was less excited about it. His mind started racing with options. 

Akira looked at Kakashi. A hand on the wrist holding his knife. The look in her blue eyes was clear, she wanted to take his deal. 

Kakashi didn’t like the idea of traveling with someone who could trap him with apparent ease. But he wasn’t going to be a fool twice. He pulled up his headband, ready to use his sharingan, before giving a nod to Akira. 

“Alright, you’ve got a deal. We won’t hurt you, much. Now, be a good little Kagemura and come out.” Akira said.

After a moment someone stepped into view. He looked like the Kagemura that Kakashi had seen in his genjutsu. 

He held his hands up, “My name is Seijiro, I want to go with you as a prisoner. Shizuka is gone by now and we were the only ones here.” He said. 

Akira summoned her scorpions, “I know you said you don’t like pain Seijiro, but my friend Ai is going to give you just a little sting to put you to sleep.” She said. 

Seijiro frowned but nodded. “If you insist.” He agreed. 

Kakashi frowned, and nodded, they sure as hell did insist. 

Ai scuttled over to him and stabbed her stinger into the thigh of the Kagemura. 

He froze and then dropped to the ground unconscious within thirty seconds. 

Akira summoned some more scorpions, “Keep an eye on him.” She said. “If he moves an inch, you have my permission to kill him.” 

Kakashi then summoned his ninken, “Search the compound for anyone living.” He said, sending them off to work. 

He and Akira tied up their unconscious ‘prisoner’ and left to do a little looking around of their own. They started by exploring the nearby rooms and Kakahsi realized this wasn’t going to be so easy. Initially he’d hoped they’d be able to take back all the information that Kohona would need, he now realized they could be here for days gathering possibly very important information. There were too many rooms and bodies, papers scattered around for the two of them to really conduct a proper search in such a short time. 

They got to the other side of the compound and Pakkun came back to them. “The whole place is clear. There’s an infirmary nearby.” He said, looking at Akira’s arm. 

Akira gave the dog a dry look, “You would get along well with my Kai.” She said. 

“Go back and help guard that guy. I don’t trust him not to do something weird. If he uses any chakra let me know at once.” Kakashi said and Pakkun nodded before trotting off. 

They walked toward the infirmary. Kakashi looked at Akira’s wound with concern, the shirt was wet with blood even though he’d tied a tight knot on it. He still felt bad for having stabbed her. Stabbing any teammate was beyond acceptable but stabbing Akira? Here he had to admit his preference of her was showing a little at how guilting he was beginning to feel. 

He pointed her to an examining table and she sat without complaint thankfully. He quickly gathered supplies, not that there were many, the infirmary was something that had probably been raided long ago. The ointments for cleaning wounds all smelled old and bad. The bandages hadn’t been in an airtight place so they all had dust on them. He grabbed a couple of things but they’d have to do a better job of taking care of her when they got back to the village.

He cut the fabric of his shirt and sighed, “Take off your jacket.” He said, simply cutting his bloody shirt off her arm. 

She winced and rolled her shoulders, but the jacket was matted with her blood.

“I’ll just cut the sleeve off.” He said, pulling back out his blade.

“Don’t you dare.” Akira frowned. “Ibiki-san won’t let me have another interrogator jacket since I’m not with them anymore and it’s my favorite.” She managed to get the jacket off and, like him, she was left in a sleeveless top. 

He looked at the wound more carefully, it was pretty deep. “I can stitch it but we’ll have to just clean it with some dog drool for now.” He said. 

Akira made a face, “Water is fine.” 

Kakashi chuckled, “Drool is very good for wounds. Bull makes a lot of extra so I just have to call him.”

“I’ll pass,” Akira said and passed him her flask of water.

Kakashi smiled a little behind his mask. He flushed the wound and picked up the needle. “Talk to me.” He said, watching her go pale.

She nodded and looked away from her arm, telling him in a strained but clear voice about her conversation with Shizuka as he patched her up. 

“So what’s this guy’s deal? Seijiro. He seems wrong to me somehow.” Kakashi asked her. 

“I don’t know. It could be he didn’t like Shizuka’s way of doing things. He kept you busy and then decided to surrender when he could? Or maybe he realized he couldn't beat both of us and gave up then?” 

Kakashi frowned again. While he worked he rested his eye, the sharingan costing him chakra whenever it was open. He stitched her up with the Kagemura equipment. He used the small square of bandages from his pack and then cut his shirt to shreds, using it instead of the dusty bandages.

When he finished he opened his eye again, on the alert for more genjutsu.

Akira chuckled when she saw him do it, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from more scary Kagemura.” Akira batted her eyes at him. 

“Thanks.” He said, tying a tight knot on her arm the remnants of his shirt. 

She winced and then laughed with a smirk. 

“Should we head home?” Kakashi asked her. They could easily send a team to tally up the dead and collect anything important. 

“There are two things I have to see first,” Akira said with a pained look in her eyes. 

“What are they?” He asked. 

Akira motioned him to follow her. She took him to a large building near the center of the compound. 

“This is where Shizuka led me in the genjutsu. I thought we were still together. But something felt off. And when I tried to fight it, things started going wrong. The people in the banquet hall started turning to corpses, and you stood next to me, decomposing.” 

She gave him a look, both sad and sheepish.

“Do you want to wait out here while I look around?” He asked. Poor Akira had had too much time exposed to corpses of… friends, lately.

“Damn right I do. But I need to see something.” She said before going in.

Kakashi followed her and grimaced when he saw the room of the dead at their rotten feast. It was just as Akira had described but it still was horrible to witness. 

She went up to the head table. “That woman, she said Shiori’s father was here.” She looked at the corpse and picked up a silver pendant around his neck. 

“What’s that?” Kakashi asked. He really didn’t want to get closer if he didn’t have to, that that he’d ever admit to that in 100 years. 

“The clan symbol. This is Kagemura Susumu. Shiori’s father.”

“That means Shiori’s brother is head of the clan now, right?” 

“Possibly.” Akira nodded.

Kakashi looked around at the group of bodies. “Is her mother here?” 

Akira sighed, “I can’t be sure.” She slipped the pendant off his body and put it in her pocket. 

“What’s next?” Kakashi asked, hoping they could leave soon.

“Shiori’s family home. I believe it’s the second level of this building.” Akira said.

Kakashi nodded and they went upstairs, looking for any sign of their home. 

After looking in some unremarkable rooms they opened some large doors to what had to be a family suite. The layers of dust up here were thicker than in the rest of the compound. Kakashi looked around with interest. There were signs of children around, a few toys, pictures of smiling children on the walls. 

Kakashi watched Akira go through to the bedrooms, making soft little sad sounds she probably wasn’t even aware of. He tried to look for things that might be useful, but everything here just screamed innocent family home, there didn’t seem to be anything relating to the horrific scenes everywhere else.

“This is her bedroom. She has half-finished drawings here. They just left everything. They even left clothes in her closet.” Akira said from the next room. 

Kakashi’s eyes were on the desk area and he opened drawers, looking for anything that might be important. 

“Akira, this looks interesting.” He said when she’d made her tenth pained sound. 

He flipped through a journal belonging to Susumu and passed it to her when she came in. 

Akira looked at it and flipped to the later entries. “This…” She shook her head, “Do you think this can be real?” 

Kakashi hesitated a moment before replying. “It could be planted here.” He allowed her that comfort at least.

“The information is so damning… they couldn’t have left it here otherwise.” She said, her face draining of color as she read more. 

And he knew why; it directly showed the Kagemura had broken the treaty with Kohona. 

“How am I going to tell Shiori any of this?” She asked, hugging the book to her chest, not reading anymore. 

He looked at her and sighed, if she was looking for an easy way to break the news there wasn’t going to be an answer forthcoming. He looked at the other papers, wondering if they would offer any help.

“Her parents may both be dead, according to this her brother may be behind it all. And this definitely shows they broke the treaty and trained shinobi.”

“You’ll find a way.” Kakashi said gently. 

“No, Kakashi. You don’t see. If they broke the treaty, by rights the Hokage could demand Shiori’s life.” Akira said, sounding breathless, on the edge of panic. 

Kakashi put down the other papers he was sorting through and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Akira, listen to me.” He said. When she didn’t look up he used his forefinger to tip her chin up so she would make eye contact. “Shiori is not in any danger from the Hokage or the village. And you know it.” He said. 

Akira actually whimpered and pulled away from him. “Logically, yes. But how can I be sure? It wouldn’t be the first time our village killed one of our own for the ‘greater good’. And if my word isn’t enough to shield her, if someone actually thinks I may be a threat…”

Her voice trailed off and Kakashi frowned. There was that line about being a threat. That damn Kabuto had gotten in her head. 

“Akira-” He said, stepping toward her again.

“We can’t tell the Hokage.” She whispered, “He just can’t know.” 

“What?” Kakashi gripped her shoulder again. “Akira, we are telling him.” He said firmly. 

Akira shook her head, her eyes wide as she looked out into some horrible future. Her breathing was fast paced, a fine sweat appearing on her brow. Realizing she was on the edge of either doing something insane or having a panic attack, or possibly both, Kakashi pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. 

“Breathe.” He said firmly. As he held her he could feel her pounding pulse and how close she was to hyperventilating. 

Thankfully Akira didn’t resist. She closed her eyes and put her arms around his waist, clutching at him and taking deep breaths. 

After a couple of minutes she relaxed, laying her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” She said softly. 

“Don’t be.” He said gently. 

“I don’t know where that came from.” She admitted, her words slightly muffled as she spoke into his turtleneck.

“It came from several days of worry and upset, not enough sleep, followed by a bad battle here.” Kakashi could tick off several more reasons but he didn’t need to. 

Akira lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him, “When you say that it sounds almost reasonable. And not a… moment of foolishness.” 

Kakashi looked into her deep blue eyes and brushed a bit of dust off her cheek. “Let’s leave this place. We’ll take our ‘prisoner’ and have a team come to sweep the compound for more information.” He said.

Akira nodded but still made no move to let him go. Though, to be fair, he wasn’t letting her go either. 

Her soft smile turned mischievous, “So, do you always hug people on missions, Kakashi-senpai?” She teased. 

He laughed, “Only the really pretty ones.” He teased before he slipped his mask down and captured her lips in a kiss. With everything that had happened since the second exam, they hadn’t had time to even discuss their passionate kiss in his apartment. And they didn’t have time for anything more now aside from a good long kiss before he finally let her go. But there was a promise that there would be more soon. At least, that’s what he planned. 

  
  


It was just past midnight when they got back to Kohona, the streets were silent and a cold wind followed them into town. 

Together they took their prisoner, still unconscious, to the Interrogation Force and dropped him off, sharing the whole story. 

In the morning they’d meet with the Hokage again and go over everything in more detail.

“You can’t do anything more today. You need to rest.” Kakashi said, looking at Akira in concern. 

“What I need is to tell my student what happened. And to check in with Kai and my brother. No to mention a hundred other things.” Akira frowned. 

Kakashi gave her a look, “You can either go to the hospital or go home and rest.” He said, indicating her arm. He’d only patched it up lightly with the supplies at the compound and it probably could use a professional to look at it. The blade had gone in rather deep after all. 

Akira made a face, “Fine.” She agreed, but sounded very reluctant. 

Kakashi had no doubt she planned to just try and work herself to death as soon as he was gone. 

Kakashi walked back to her house with her and let himself in as if he’d been invited. “Your med-kit is in the bathroom?” He asked, walking back there. 

“Yes…” Akira said, she struggled by the door to kick off her boots. So by the time she got back to her bathroom he’d already unpacked her medkit. 

“Sit down.” Kakashi pointed to the edge of the tub. 

“Really, Kakashi, I can do this myself.” Akira frowned.

He took her by the shoulders and simply forced her over and sat her down, not being too gentle about it. “It’s hard to change one's own bandages. Especially around the arm.” He said. 

He helped her shrug off her jacket again and looked at the bandage. It was already bleeding through and he frowned. Wondering if his stitches hadn’t been good enough. 

He peeled back the bandages, checking his stitching as carefully as he could, cleaning a little of the blood away, fully focused on his task. 

“You know it’s not your fault.” Akira took a stab in the dark, so to speak. 

Kakashi’s eye flicked to her and then back to his work. “I know,” he said. But he knew his voice was too even, too in control. She wouldn’t believe him. 

Akira smiled softly. “You were trapped in a genjutsu, you had no control over it. Unless it’s your pride that’s wounded? And you’re just unhappy you got caught?” She teased.. 

Kakashi rolled his eye, “It’s not my pride.” He promised. To be perfectly honest it was about 70% pride and 30% that it was Akira who got hurt. 

“Then let it all go. It’s not worth worrying about. We should just be glad it’s not worse. For a second there I was pretty sure you were going to get me in the neck.” She laughed.

Kakashi frowned. “That doesn’t make me feel better.” He pointed out. 

They were damn lucky they’d gotten out so easy. And he hated being lucky, it only meant you weren’t good enoguh for your skill to save you. What the hell had that Kagemura been playing at anyway? He decided his stitches looked good, and that she just needed more bandages. He spread some ointment on the wound and tied down a new bandage,

Akira chuckled, “Then what will? We both made it out alive with minimal injuries. We should be glad.” 

“I am glad. I still don’t like that I stabbed you.” He sighed. 

“Then you can stare at the scar for the rest of our lives and buy me dango whenever you see it,” Akira suggested. 

Kakashi laughed and nodded. “That sounds about right.” He agreed. 

“And don’t go getting trapped in any more terrible genjutsu.” Akira added with a smile.

“Let’s hope not.” Kakashi nodded. 

He finished bandaging her up and Akira stood up. She put a hand on his arm, he kinda felt like it was an excuse to fondle his bare bicep instead of for stability, but he wasn’t complaining. 

“Thank you for coming to the compound with me. I needed help obviously, but I also needed you.” She said, a faint blush rising in her cheeks. 

“I was happy to help you.” He nodded. 

Akira smiled and put a hand on his face. 

“Have you been waiting for me?” Akira asked, her eyes narrowed as if trying to see through some trick. 

Kakashi realized that she was referring to his slip up the day of the second exam. He’d said aloud the words that he was waiting, which he hadn’t intended to. Thankfully he had only said two years and not the full four years he’d been waiting, which sounded really pathetic. Talk about his pride being wounded...

When he’d admitted it though she’d immediately grabbed him and kissed him, not asking for an explanation like she was now. 

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. “No.” He said sadly. 

Akira frowned, “Oh.” She looked disappointed.

“Waiting implies that I expected something to happen,” he continued, his voice as nonchalant as ever, his posture relaxed. But under all that, deep inside him the flicker of hope that refused to go out roared to life, creating a tension in him, vulnerability and longing. He wanted her to contradict his words so badly he couldn’t even breathe. 

“You must have a will of iron,” Akira said, running one hand over his bicep still. “Strong, silent, resolute, and now, you seem impervious to the fact that we’re here, together, in the middle of the night, in my bathroom.”

If she thought he was impervious to that fact she was wrong. But it was good to know that he could still hide his feelings when he wanted, not blurt them out whenever pressed. 

“When I want something,” Akira continued, leaning closer. “I take it. When I don't like a rule,” she curled the fingers on his face, brushing over the thin fabric of his mask. “I break it. When it’s my move, I don’t wait around, I make it.” Very slowly, she pulled on his mask, slipping it down. She gave him plenty of time to object but he held still under her hands, letting her do as she liked. His silent acceptance made her smile and she peeled his mask all the way off.

An almost wolfish smile crossed her face as her eyes drank him in. He’d had other people tell him his face was handsome, and Akira just the other day had told him he was a work of art. All the words in the world paled, however, when compared to the look in her doe eyes. There was appreciation in her gaze and longing; along with a heavy dose of lust that made the fire in his veins scream to life. 

Her eyes flickered back to his as she leaned closer, her breath ghosting over his lips. For a second longer she studied him, then she pushed the headband up over his eye. He kept his eye closed but she seemed satisfied being able to see all his face. 

“See, isn't this more fun?” She breathed, her eyes closing a fraction of a second before her lips met his. 

His hand went to the small of her back, pulling her closer as she wrapped one of her hands around the back of his neck, playing with the ties of his forehead protector as the kiss deepened. It was exhilarating, being this close to her, after waiting so long for this moment. It was different from the other kisses they’d shared in the last week, this time she knew that he wanted her, that he’d been wanting her. The power dynamic shifted strongly in her favor and she seemed intoxicated with it. 

She pulled back, slightly breathless and laughed softly, clearly enjoying herself.

“Let’s go.” She said, taking his hand. 

Kakashi didn’t pretend to not know where it was she wanted to go. Heavens knew it was tempting but he just chuckled and shook his head. 

“It is fun, but you still need to rest. You’ve got some bad news to break tomorrow and we both have students who need to be trained.” He stepped back and smiled softly at her.

She’d said he had a will of iron and maybe he did. He’d need it if he was going to resist her when she finally seemed to be paying him the same notice he’d been paying her for years. But his loyalty would always be to the village, and they had to come first. Even before the woman he would love, if she’d let him. 

“Running away from me Kakashi-senpai?” She teased with a little blush. Thankfully though she didn’t object or press him, because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to say no twice. 

“I’m not running this time. You made your move, now be a good girl and wait for me to make mine.” He said, pulling back up his mask. 

“So long as it doesn’t take too long.” Akira nodded. “Goodnight.” She smiled.

“Goodnight.” He said with a little wave and left her apartment. 

Only once he was home did he hit his head against the wall and groan, wondering why he had to be so damn good all the time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter from Kakashi's pov. I promise I'm not going to keep you all in UST forever! But I just love a good slowburn.   
How about those Kagemura though? Getting the drop on Akira AND Kakashi is pretty spooky, you've got to have mad skills. Be sure that we're going to be seeing more of their powers and their people again!   
Thanks for reading as always, and if you enjoyed please drop a kudo or short note to let us know! Hell, if you didn't enjoy let us know that too so we can see if we can do something better in the future.


	30. Spiders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV This chapter is Shiori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting so late!

“You win,” Shiori said, meeting Kazuo at a heavily wooded training ground just as the sun rose. She’d been released from the hospital yesterday evening and had barely walked through her front door before a messenger arrived with a note from Kazuo, telling her to meet him at dawn. “I’ll try things your way, at least as far as the exam goes. Get me through that, and we’ll reevaluate.”

Kazuo arched an eyebrow at her and Shiori couldn’t help noticing how much he looked like Akira in that moment. “What makes you think you’re in a position to make demands?”

Shiori folded her arms. “Like you said, I’m unique. You want to study the Kagemura abilities, you’re going to have to compromise.”

A strange look flitted across Kazuo’s face, but before Shiori could even begin to decipher it, he sighed and rolled his eyes. “You and Akira are well suited for each other,” he said, clearly not meaning it as a compliment. “Fine, we’ll focus on the exam first. Lucky for you, I have a few thoughts on that.”

Kazuo paused, but when Shiori didn’t fall to her knees in gratitude, like he seemed to be expecting, he continued. “You said you can’t use your shadow sight in combat?” 

“Probably not,” she responded. “I can use it while moving enough to get me from place to place, but in the middle of battle, it’d be a stretch.”

“Well, we should practice with it eventually, but it sounds like what you really need is more eyes.”

For a moment, the image of him literally implanting eyes into her flashed through her mind and she had to repress a shudder. It seemed like something he’d do.

“Can you see my hands well enough to copy these signs?” He asked, showing her a series of hand-signs.

She nodded.

“Good, show me.”

She did as instructed, following the pattern easily, and he nodded with approval.

“Okay,” he bit his thumb enough to draw blood and motioned for Shiori to do the same. “Make those signs again while focusing chakra into your hand, then press that hand to the ground.” 

Shiori did as he said, noticing that the signs he was making were slightly different than the ones he’d shown her. Before she had the chance to wonder why, Shiori was surrounded by a thick smoke and felt as if her entire body was being jerked around by her spine.

When the smoke cleared, she found herself in a wooded area that was fairly similar to the one she’d just left. This time, however, the gentle light of dawn was replaced with a deep gloom that shrouded everything like an early morning fog that refused to lift. 

“Oh,” Kazuo said, looking around. “Lovely.”

“What was that?” Shiori asked.

“A summoning jutsu,” he answered. “But, as you don’t currently have a summoning contract, performing that jutsu transported you to the realm of the contract you’re most suited for.”

“Why were your hand-signs different?”

“Noticed that, did you?” Kazuo said, glancing at her. “It’s a little jutsu deviation of mine. If I’d done the exact same hand-signs as you, I’d have ended up in a completely different realm. So, I tagged my chakra onto yours and hitched a ride, so to speak.”

“That’s... actually really cool,” Shiori said.

Kazuo looked at her, seeming a bit surprised. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. So, which realm are we in?”

With all the shadows around, it was difficult for Shiori to focus on a single image; but the glimpses she was getting weren’t particularly comforting. As far as she could tell, the entire landscape was one big forest with twisted trees covered in vines, and moss, and the creeping tendrils of parasitic plants.

“That,” Kazuo said, glancing around nervously. “Is an excellent question.”

A chuckle followed his statement and he and Shiori froze as an almost sultry voice sounded from above. “Welcome to my parlor.”

Shiori looked up, toward the voice, forgetting in her surprise that she didn’t physically need to look up to shift her gaze. What she saw overhead was something out of a nightmare. Eight spindly legs clung to an intricate web as a spider the size of a wolf looked down at Shiori.

“What a tasty little snack,” the spider said. It’s voice was distinctly feminine, an alto purr that made Shiori want to shiver.

“That’s enough of that,” Kazuo said, glancing upward with a remarkably calm expression. “You and I both know you aren’t allowed to eat anyone who’s come to sign a summoning contract.”

The spider laughed and Shiori couldn’t repress her shiver any longer. “True,” the spider said, sounding wistful. “Very true.”

She climbed down from her web, her movements oddly graceful as she settled on the forest floor.

“Tell me, girl,” she said to Shiori. “Have you been blinded?” She reached out one of her long legs and ran it across the bandages across Shiori’s eyes. Her touch was surprisingly delicate, though it took all of Shiori’s self control not to jerk away. “Is that why you want so many eyes watching over you?” She chuckled at her own joke.

“I’m not blind,” Shiori said. “I just don’t know how to deactivate my Yureigan yet.”

“Oh,” the spider said, sounding interested. “You’re a Kagemura? How exciting. We could work well together. If you survive, of course.”

“Survive?” Shiori asked, tensing.

“I can’t just sign a contract with every shinobi that manages to find its way into my web,” she said. “If you can survive my test, you’ll be worthy.”

Before Shiori could react, the spider lunged forward and sank her fangs into Shiori’s shoulder. Shiori screamed as pain shot through her and her vision darkened. 

_ Shiori wasn’t sure where she was. All around her, grey mists swirled and undulated, forming patterns and scenes and then twisting away. In the ambient light, there were glints of silver like sun glancing off the morning dew. Shiori looked closer and found a thin strand of … something stretching into the distance. Pulled forward by some instinct she didn’t understand, Shiori followed the strand as she tried to remember how she got to this strange place. She had to learn something. Had to figure something out. What was the question?  _

_ “Why can’t I remember?” Shiori whispered, not expecting an answer. _

_ “Remember what?” _

_ Shiori spun, eyes wide as a figure appeared out of the mist, hands stuffed into the pockets of baggy pants, the hood on his teal sweatshirt pulled low over his face. _

_ “Masaru?” _

_ He chuckled. “You sound surprised.” _

_ “I am; what are you doing here?” _

_ Masaru looked around with an amused smile on his tan face. “You don’t even know where here is. So why shouldn’t I be here?” _

_ “Do you know where here is?” _

_ Masaru shook his head and pulled his hood back so she could see his face better. “No,” he answered, smiling at her. “Does it matter?” _

_ “I think it does,” she said with a frown. “What if we’re in danger?” _

_ “Do you feel like you’re in danger?” _

_ Shiori looked around, there was nothing inherently threatening about the mist, and she trusted Masaru, but… “Yes,” she said softly. There was something tickling at the back of her mind, a little warning whispered to the wind. She was not safe. _

_ Masaru nodded, his expression thoughtful. “You should trust your instincts, Shiori,” he said, glancing around. “So, why are you here?” _

_ “To protect my family,” Shiori said out of habit before realizing how foolish that response was. How was wandering around in a fog protecting her family? _

_ Masaru chucked. “The things we do for family, right? Or because of family.” _

_ Shiori frowned, thinking of everything she’d done for her family and what it all amounted to. A pain shot through her stomach and her hand flew to the still healing wound there. She glanced down, expecting to see blood, but her grey dress was pristine. _

_ “Yeah,” Masaru said with a grim smile. “It hurts, doesn’t it? Losing my dad felt like a knife to the gut, but your brother actually stabbed you. You know I wanted to be a med-nin, before Dad died?” Masaru shook his head and looked at Shiori with a sheepish expression on his face. “I still kind of do; but I’m afraid, you know? What if I can’t protect the people closest to me, even then?” _

_ “Masaru,” Shiori said quietly. She didn’t know if this was real, or some dream or illusion, but the honesty in her teammate’s deep brown eyes struck her.  _

_ Masaru shrugged and smiled. “But anyway, don’t you think you should figure out why you’re here?” _

_ Shiori blinked and he was gone, leaving her alone in the mist with only the glinting thread to guide her.  _

_ “Why am I here?” She whispered, walking slowly, her eyes trained on the sparkling thread. “I came to Konoha to protect my family. But is  _ here _ Konoha? Does my family even need me to protect them?” She wrapped her arms around her stomach; the wound didn’t hurt, she couldn’t even feel it. “What if they don’t need me?” She whispered. _

_ “I need you,” Kiyoko’s voice came from next to her and Shiori jumped, turning to see her best friend walking beside her, holding her fat orange tabby, Momo, in her arms. “And I’ve been waiting forever, you know. I’m  _ still _ waiting.” _

_ “What are you waiting for?” Shiori asked. _

_ “For you!” Kiyoko said, setting Momo down and letting the cat scamper off into the mist.  _

_ “But, I’m right here.” _

_ Kiyoko smiled and tilted her head. “Are you?” _

_ Shiori looked down at herself, and then around at the mist again. “I think so?” _

_ “See?” Kiyoko giggled. “You’re not even sure if you’re  _ here _ . How can you be sure if you’re  _ you?”

_ “Who else would I be?” Shiori asked, her patience running thin as her confusion grew. _

_ “Anyone but you, apparently. Which is a shame, because I think you’re a lot better as you.” Kiyoko shook her head and fixed Shiori with an uncharacteristically serious look. “You’ve got to be careful, Shiori. If you spend too much time not being you, people might forget who you are. I worry about that a lot, I want to make people happy, I want them to like me and I want them to know they can count on me. But what if that’s all I am now? What if I’m just the one they go to when they need to be cheered up? Am I really being me if I can’t be all me?” Kiyoko sighed then turned to Shiori. “That’s why I need you. I know I can be all me with you, so hurry up and get here, okay?” _

_ “Where is here?” Shiori asked as Kiyoko faded into the mist. “Where are you? I can’t-” Shiori spun in circles, desperately searching for anything to give her a hint but all she could see was swirling mists and glittering threads. _

_ She had to figure this out, had to solve this puzzle, but how could she? “I can’t do this,” she whispered and slumped to the ground, overwhelmed by how much she just didn’t know. _

_ “Of course you can.” _

_ Shiori looked up to see Neji standing over her, his hand extended toward her. A wave of calm spread over her as she took his hand, disturbed only slightly by the flutter of excitement in her stomach at the sight of him. _

_ “What’s stopping you?” Neji asked as he pulled her to her feet. _

_ “I don’t know,” Shiori answered, clinging to his hand as she looked out into the mist. “Something isn’t right here. Or something isn’t right with me. I can’t tell which.” She shook her head and focused on his gentle smile. “I don’t know what’s going on, and that makes me nervous.” _

_ “You can’t know everything,” Neji said as he stepped closer to her and Shiori found her feet rooted to the ground. “There isn’t always an answer,” he continued, taking her other hand. “You aren’t always going to have all the information you want, or even need.” He smiled as Shiori frowned. “I know that scares you, but try to be brave. The unknown isn’t your enemy.” _

_ Shiori sighed and nodded, trying to take his words to heart. _

_ “Good,” he said, leaning forward until their foreheads were touching and his arms wrapped around her. “You’d better keep going,” he continued, reluctantly releasing her and nodding toward the glinting thread Shiori had been following. _

_ Shiori nodded, watching him vanish back into the mist.  _

_ She wasn’t even surprised when another figure started walking out of the mist; a long black coat swaying in her wake. _

_ “Akira-sensei?” _

_ Akira-sensei smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. “How’s it going?” _

_ “I am so confused,” Shiori admitted, shaking her head. _

_ “Confused, huh?” Akira-sensei sat and patted the ground next to her. “Let’s work it out. What happened?” _

_ Shiori told her everything she could remember, trying to organize it as logically as possible. _

_ “Well,” Akira-sensei said when she was finished. “You’ve had quite the day, haven’t you?” _

_ Shiori nodded. _

_ “So, what do you think is going on?” She asked with an arched eyebrow. _

_ “I’m trapped, and I don’t know how to free myself.” _

_ “You can do better than that.” _

_ “There’s no geography to give me a hint of where I am, I have no idea how I got here or what I was doing before,” Shiori threw her hands up, exasperated. “I don’t know.” _

_ Akira-sensei gave her a flat look and Shiori sighed.  _

_ “I’m sorry, Sensei. I don’t have the information I need.” _

_ “Sure you do,” Akira-sensei said and pointed to the thread Shiori had been following. “What’s that?” _

_ “A wire?”  _

_ “Look closer,” Akira-sensei said with that annoying smile she got whenever her students were missing the obvious. _

_ Shiori did as she instructed, squinting at the silvery strand. “It’s a web.”  _

_ The moment she said the words, the mist cleared and she found herself surrounded by an intricate web. The patterns were breathtaking; and dizzying. She could spend hours trying to make sense of them. _

_ “The spider,” She said, looking at Akira-sensei with narrowed eyes. “She trapped me here to test me.” _

_ Akira-sensei hummed happily. “And the purpose of a test is to see what you’ve learned, so, Kagemura Shiori, what did you learn?” _

_ Shiori frowned, thinking through the conversations she’d had. It was clear to her - now that the mist had literally cleared - that she hadn’t actually spoken to Masaru, Kiyoko, or Neji. But whether by the spider’s design, or Shiori’s own subconscious’ machinations, she had learned something from the three of them.  _

_ “I need to figure out who I am, and why I’m here,” she said, slowly. “Not  _ here _ , specifically, but what my purpose is. Am I just a hostage? Is my only purpose to act as a shield for my clan?” She shook her head. “I don’t know, yet, but I do know that I have to start looking for the answer, even if it scares me.” _

_ Akira-sensei smiled and leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “Well done.”  _

Shiori grimaced as she became aware of a tree root digging into her back and she immediately activated her shadow sight jutsu.

“Oh good,” Kazuo said as she sat up, rubbing at her shoulder where the spider had bitten her. “You’re not dead.”

Kazuo offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet.

“You sound relieved,” she muttered.

“I am relieved,” Kazuo said. “Akira would never let me live it down if I killed you after one day of training.” 

Shiori ignored him and focused her attention on the spider.

“Well done, morsel,” the spider said in her purring voice. “You not only managed to escape, but you actually learned something in the process. Most impressive.”

“How do you know I learned anything?” Shiori asked, not loving the idea of the spider watching the whole thing like some strange movie. 

“Had you simply forced your way out, you would have woken in agony,” the spider said.

“And if I hadn’t learned anything, or been unable to force my way out?”

The spider chuckled. “Then I would have devoured you.”

Shiori turned to Kazuo. “I thought you said she couldn’t eat me!”

Kazuo shrugged. “I probably would have stopped her.”

“Probably?”

He shrugged again. “Well, she is rather large.”

“You’re a terrible sensei,” Shiori muttered.

“I told you, I’m not your sensei,” Kazuo said, making the word sound like an insult. “And clearly Akira has spoiled you.”

“As amusing as it is for me to watch you argue,” the spider said. “And believe me, it is. I do have other things to attend to so if we could move this along?”

Shiori nodded and the spider unraveled a long scroll with names written in reddish-brown ink. When Shiori stepped closer, she realized that the ink was actually blood and she turned back to Kazuo.

He tossed her a kunai with a smirk. “Prick your finger, sign your name, then put your fingerprints.”

“You know, there  _ is _ such a thing as ink,” Shiori said, cutting her pointer finger.

“The blood is how I identify who is summoning me,” the spider said. “I wouldn’t want to come to just  _ anyone’s _ call.

Shiori bit back a sarcastic response. She had come here looking for help, after all. And she wasn’t sure she was ready to sass a spider the size of a wolf. She finished signing her name and dabbed a bit of blood on each of her fingertips before pressing them to the scroll.

“Perfect,” the spider said, taking the scroll and reading her name. “Shiori, hmm? Well, Shiori, you may call me Yuko. I do so look forward to working together.”

Before Shiori could respond, a cloud of smoke formed around her and she felt the same jerking sensation as before. When the smoke cleared, she and Kazuo were back at the training ground.

“How long have we been gone?” Shiori asked.

“Not long,” Kazuo said. “Maybe half an hour, probably not even that long.”

Shiori sighed and flopped down on the grass, massaging her shoulder. It still hurt where the spider had bitten her. “It felt like ages.

Shiori glanced around as she heard a familiar chuckle and her shadow sight jutsu picked up Akira-sensei walking toward her.

“Good to see you up and about,” Akira-sensei said, a warm smile on her face.

“It’s good to be up,” Shiori said. “When did you get back?”

“Last night, actually,” she answered. “Has my brother been treating you well?” She asked, swatting Kazuo’s arm.

Shiori smiled and shrugged. “There are some similarities in your teaching styles.”

“How rude,” Kazuo said.

“There are  _ not, _ ” Akira-sensei said at the same time. 

The incredulous - and nearly identical - looks on their faces caused a burst of laughter to erupt from Shiori before she could stop herself. It felt good, like the tension she’d felt since being bitten by Yuko had been chased away. “How did it go at the compound?” She said once she’d gotten control of herself again.

“First things first,” Akira-sensei said. “This is the hand-sign you need to deactivate the yureigan.” She formed her hands into a diamond shape with her last three fingers curling in the center.

Shiori quickly made the hand-sign and focused her chakra to her eyes. Almost immediately, the crystalline tone at the back of her head that had been there since she’d activated the doujutsu vanished. She exhaled a relieved breath and began to unwrap the bandages around her eyes.

“So, they told you how to deactivate it?” Shiori asked, cautiously opening her eyes. Even the early morning sun was bright enough to make her eyes water but she didn’t care. It was too good to just be able to  _ see  _ again. “I can activate it again the same way?”

Akira-sensei nodded.

“Did they say anything else about the yureigan?” Shiori asked. “Or,” she paused and rubbed at the still-healing wound on her stomach.

The look on Akira-sensei’s face sent a chill through Shiori and she narrowed her eyes. “What happened?”

Akira-sensei sighed and looked toward her brother as if asking for help.

“Not my division,” Kazuo said, raising his arms as if to ward Akira-sensei off.

Akira-sensei glared at him before turning back to Shiori. “I have some bad news, Shiori, maybe it would be better to go to your house. I don’t think you’ll want to hear it here.”

“Akira-sensei, I’d rather not hear bad news at all, but if it has to happen, I would prefer to avoid delay. Please, tell me.”

Akira-sensei sighed and nodded, walking over to a tree before sitting down and motioning for Shiori to join her. To Shiori’s surprise, Kazuo also sat.

“Kakashi and I went to your clan’s compound,” Akira-sensei said, her voice gentle. “When we got there, we were attacked.”

Shiori felt the blood drain from her face. That couldn’t be right. The Kagemura wouldn’t attack Konoha shinobi without reason. “Why?” She asked.

“There was a disagreement within the leadership of your clan,” Akira-sensei continued. “Some, like your parents, wanted to continue living in peace with Konoha, others disagreed.”

Akira-sensei paused to take a deep breath, like she was preparing to take a plunge into icy water. Shiori felt her body tense and part of her knew what was coming before Akira-sensei could say it.

“Shiori, I’m so sorry,” Akira-sensei said. “Your parents are dead.”

Shiori sat in silence for a moment; that couldn’t be how it ended. Without resolution? Without closure? It wasn’t right.

“Are you sure?” She asked, fighting to keep her voice calm.

“Oh, Shiori,” Akira-sensei said, reaching for Shiori like she wanted to comfort her.

Shiori shook her head and held up a hand to stop her. “Please, you must be sure, what is your evidence?” She felt her voice crack. “They can’t be dead, I still need to speak with them. I have questions for them! I need them to tell me what I did wrong.” She took a breath, trying to compose herself. “I need to know what I did to make them send me away.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Akira-sensei said. “They were afraid for you, they sent you here to protect you.”

Shiori looked at her with a confused frown. “Protect me? If they wanted to protect me, why not keep me close?”

Akira-sensei held out a worn journal. “This was your father’s,” she said. “It explains a lot. Not everything, but a lot. When you’re ready, it’ll explain better than I can.”

Shiori took the book numbly, barely feeling the supple leather beneath her fingers.

“Thank you for telling me,” she mumbled, her voice distant. “I would like to think about this on my own for now, just for a bit.”

She stood, clutching the book to her chest as she walked out of the training ground. If Akira-sensei called after her, she didn’t hear it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From UST last chapter to a sad ending this time. :( sorry guys. Thanks for the comments though! We love them


	31. A Day In The Life Of Masaru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Split POV this chapter with Masaru and Akira

**Fujita Masaru**

Masaru watched Shiori head home after an intense day of training. She hadn’t talked to him yet; it’d been days since Akira-sensei had gotten back from the Kagemura compound, and Shiori had trained with him and Kiyoko from sunup to sundown each day. But she hadn’t mentioned her parents once. 

Akira-sensei had told him and Kiyoko what happened, or at least part of the story. Masaru would’ve bet good money she hadn’t told them everything. She’d also told them, in no uncertain terms, that they were to give Shiori the space she needed. If Shiori just wanted to train, they’d just train. If she wanted to talk about it, they’d listen. Masaru was pretty sure Kiyoko was a day away from losing her mind. If he was honest with himself, he wasn’t too far behind her. It was hard to look at Shiori and see such a familiar pain looking back at him. 

When his dad had died, Masaru hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone either. He’d shut his mother out, his sister, even Kiba. It wasn’t until Akamaru actually jumped through his window and refused to leave his side for a week that Masaru had finally rejoined the world. Shiori didn’t have that kind of luxury. Not only was the final exam rapidly approaching, but the Hokage had decided to keep everything Akira-sensei had found at the Kagemura compound secret so only a handful of people even knew what she was going through. 

Masaru shook his head and started toward home; there might be one thing he could do that wouldn’t completely defy the Hokage’s secrecy mandate.

“Hey, mom!” Masaru called when he reached his house. “I need to ask you a question.”

“I’m in the kitchen,” she called back.

Masaru smiled; that was perfect. Moriko didn’t often have days off, but when she did, she always made it a point to cook.

“Is something wrong?” She asked when Masaru took a seat at the kitchen table.

“You’re Shiori’s doctor, right?”

Moriko glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before returning her attention to the vegetables in front of her. “Shiori was my patient, but I’m not her primary doctor.”

“But you’re still bound by patient confidentiality, right? If there was something you knew about her health, you’d have to keep it a secret?”

Moriko sighed and turned toward Masaru. “What happened? Please tell me you did not get that girl pregnant.”

“What?!” Masaru nearly fell off his chair. “Mom! I’m gay, we’ve been through this!”

“Then what’s the issue? Spit it out!”

“Okay, but you can’t say anything to anyone because the Hokage wants it kept a secret but Shiori’s parents are dead and she just found out a few days ago and she won’t talk about it and I’m really worried about her because I know how that feels and I don’t know how to help and now I sound like goddamn Kiyoko!” Masaru yelled. Once he started he couldn’t stop but Moriko just listened to him calmly before going back to chopping her vegetables.

“I guess we’d better bring her some soup, then,” Moriko said once Masaru had been forced to stop talking due to lack of oxygen.

Masaru knocked on Shiori’s door. There were lights on inside, but he wasn’t sure she’d come to the door. He was about to knock again when the door slid open and Shiori peeked out. She looked even paler than usual and it took some effort for Masaru to force a smile. 

“Good evening, Shiori,” Moriko said, nudging Masaru out of the way. “The hospital made an error and forgot to schedule a check-in appointment for your wound. If you have some time now, I can look at it and see how the healing is progressing.”

Shiori looked between Masaru, Moriko, and the pot of soup in Moriko’s hands. For a second, Masaru thought she was going to shut the door in their faces but instead she sighed and stepped aside.

“You’re not subtle,” she muttered to him as he entered her house.

Masaru shot her a sheepish look, but couldn’t fully repress his smile. They’d gotten this far, at least.

“Now,” Moriko said, handing the soup to Masaru and shooing him off to put it in the kitchen. “I do want to look at your wound,” she said to Shiori.

Masaru took the soup into the kitchen as Shiori sighed again. There was a leatherbound book on Shiori’s kitchen table with a silver pendant resting on top of it. Masaru frowned, recognizing the stylized eye that was the Kagemura clan symbol. 

“Does it hurt?” He heard Moriko ask from the other room.

“Rarely,” Shiori responded. “Only when it gets hit.”

“Then try to stop letting it get hit.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Are you having any other issues? Any other pain or discomfort?”

Shiori sighed and Masaru could almost feel her glaring toward him from the other room.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, loudly enough that Masaru knew he was meant to hear it. “I just want to get through this exam. I’ll worry about everything else after.”

“That’s fine,” Moriko said and Masaru frowned; that wasn’t exactly the reason he asked her to help. “You don’t have to talk.”

There was silence in the other room for a moment and Masaru peeked his head around the door to the kitchen. Moriko had her arms wrapped around Shiori, holding her tightly. After a moment, Masaru saw Shiori’s shoulders start to tremble and Moriko made a comforting sound.

“Grief is a poison, girl,” Moriko said. “You’ve got to get it out of your system before you can start to heal. Too many of our kind forget that.”

Masaru ducked back into the kitchen and started making tea. He might not be good for much else, but he at least knew that Shiori would want tea. 

Masaru couldn’t repress a groan as he trudged away from the training grounds the next day. He was positive Shiori had come at him harder than usual; but she did seem to have a bit of her fire back, so he guessed the pain was worth it? 

“Masaru!”

He paused and waited for Akira-sensei to catch up to him. If she asked him to train more today…

“Don’t give me that look,” she said with a laugh. “I was going to offer to take you to dinner but if you’re going to scowl the entire time I don’t know if I want to be seen in your company.”

Masaru gave her a suspicious look. “Why do you want to take me to dinner?”

“Can’t a sensei treat her student, from time to time?” Akira-sensei asked innocently.

Masaru wasn’t buying it and he crossed his arms. 

Akira-sensei smiled and ruffled his hair. He jerked away and fought off a smile. “You did good yesterday,” she said. “Everyone feels better after some soup.”

Masaru blushed and looked down. He couldn’t get away with anything.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat,” Akira-sensei said, leading him toward town.

They walked in comfortable silence until Masaru couldn’t stand it any more. “I didn’t really go against the Hokage’s orders. I mean, doctors -”

“You did good,” Akira-sensei cut him off. 

“But-”

“Nope. I’m proud of you.”

Masaru smiled and looked down at his feet, trying to hide how pleased he was. 

Just as they reached the restaurant with the best tempura in town, Masaru’s stomach grumbled and Akira-sensei laughed. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll get some food in you soon.”

Once they were at a table and had placed their order, Akira-sensei sat back in her chair and studied Masaru with a thoughtful look.

“What?” He asked.

“Have you given what we talked about any more thought?” Akira-sensei asked and Masaru rolled his eyes.

“I knew this wasn’t just an ‘I’m proud of you for being such a good teammate’ dinner,” he muttered.

“It absolutely is,” Akira-sensei said, sounding offended. “And we’re having a discussion about making you an even better teammate in the future.”

“Uh-huh,” Masaru said. “I don’t know, Sensei. It sounds cool, but I don’t know if I actually have it in me. Medical ninjutsu takes a lot of chakra, and a lot of chakra control, neither of which I have. And then you want me to be able to use medical ninjustu in the middle of combat to incapacitate enemies? I don’t know.”

“I’m not asking you if you can do it now, Masaru,” Akira-sensei said with a small laugh. “I’m asking you if you want to learn.”

Masaru sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe?”

“What’s the sticking point?”

Masaru shot her what he hoped was an eloquent look and she held her hands up in defense. 

“Okay, fine, we can talk about something else,” she said with another laugh. “How’s that Nara guy you’re dating?”

Masaru nearly choked on his tea and he glared at Akira-sensei as he tried to compose himself. “How did you know about that?”

“Emi told me,” Akira-sensei answered with a grin.

Masaru sighed and set his head on the table. “We broke up,” he muttered, not entirely sure why he was telling her. “I got tired of him constantly fussing over my arms.” He still had the bandages around his arms, though most of the wounds had scarred over enough that he could probably get away with unwrapping them. He just didn’t like the look of the scars; and he definitely hadn’t liked Shinichi fretting over his every movement. 

“That’s a shame, you two would’ve been a cute couple,” Akira-sensei said, sipping her tea.

“Do you bother Kiyoko and Shiori about relationship stuff?”

Akira-sensei sat up in her chair, her interest piqued. “Should I be bothering Shiori about her relationships?”

Masaru glanced up at her, his eyes narrowed as he tried to decide what all he should say.

“So, you know about Kiyoko and Kiba, then?” He asked, stalling for time.

Akira-sensei waved her hand dismissively. “Everyone knows about Kiyoko and Kiba; they’re not subtle. Tell me about Shiori.”

It was Masaru’s turn to sit back in his chair and study Akira-sensei. “What do I get out of it?”

“I’ll teach you how to sever muscle from the bone without leaving an outward mark,” Akira-sensei offered.

Masaru thought about it for a moment, a little concerned by how tempting that offer was. “Deal,” he said, leaning forward conspiratorially. “She and Neji definitely have something going on between them. I’ve seen them taking walks in the park more than once and he outright _ gave _ her the scroll we needed during the second exam. After arriving just in time to come to her rescue.”

Akira-sensei leaned back in her chair and frowned. “That’s not exactly new information, he visited her right before you and Kiyoko did the morning following the exam as well.” 

Masaru’s memory flashed back to the extra teacup that had been sitting on Shiori’s table that morning.

“But they haven’t officially gone on a date?” Akira-sensei continued.

Masaru shrugged. “Can you imagine either of them on a ‘date’?”

Akira-sensei laughed and swatted at him. “Shush, they’d be adorable.” 

Masaru shrugged again. Neji was a bit too high-strung for his tastes, though he couldn’t deny that the Hyuuga was attractive.

“So,” Akira-sensei said. “How do you feel about Kiba and Kiyoko?”

“I think it’s great,” Masaru said. “They seem good for each other, and if Kiba makes her unhappy, I’ll have an excuse to kick his ass.”

Akira-sensei laughed. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay with it. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about your best friend dating your teammate; they’re quite the handful though, aren’t they?”

“Well, at least they’ll never be bored,” Masaru said with a fond smile.

So, Kiyoko and Kiba, and Shiori and Neji,” Akira-sensei mused. “Now we just need to find you someone nice; have your eye on anyone?”

“I think we’re done with this conversation,” Masaru said. “You obviously talk to Emi too much for me to trust you with that kind of information.”

Akira-sensei laughed again and Masaru smirked. “Unless, of course, you’d like to talk about your love life, Sensei. I heard a rumor a while back that you and Kakashi-sensei were getting very cozy.”

It was Akira-sensei turn to look taken aback and Masaru felt a surge of satisfaction as a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

“Really?” He said, filing everything away to tell Kiyoko as payback if she ever found out he’d used her relationship with Kiba to deflect Akira-sensei’s attention. “Do tell.”

“Oh Masaru,” Akira-sensei said with a dangerous smirk. “I could shock you with stories.”

Masaru was saved from having to come up with a response to that by the arrival of their dinner. Part of him absolutely did _ not _ want to know what shocking stories Akira-sensei had. Another part of him absolutely did. 

The streets were dark as Masaru headed home from the hospital. Emi was working the night shift and she’d forgotten her dinner - again - so Masaru had brought it to her. She’d thanked him by roping him into helping her check on a few patients. Though annoying, Masaru was used to Emi trying to convince him to reconsider accepting medical ninjutsu training. He hadn’t told her about Akira-sensei’s offer to train him to use medical ninjutsu offensively; he wasn’t sure how she’d feel about that. Emi was a healer, through and through. She could defend herself, if needed, but she poured all her attention and effort into getting better at repairing and preserving. The healing she did on his arms was proof that her hard work had paid off. As excited as she might be to hear he was seriously considering Akira-sensei’s offer, he didn’t think she’d love the idea of using medical ninjutsu to hurt. Even if it was in the name of protecting his team.

Masaru sighed and looked up at the moon, it would be full soon and cast a bright light over the rooftops. He frowned as he saw a figure sitting on a nearby building, he couldn’t make out who it was but an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. Following his instincts, he jumped onto a nearby roof and moved closer to the figure. He didn’t know what he was going to do if his fears proved founded and there was an enemy lurking there; he was still tired from training and didn’t like his chances going against anyone that would actually warrant concern. 

He skidded to a halt when he recognized the figure; it was the red-haired shinobi from Sunagakure. If half of what Kiba had told him about this guy’s fight against Lee was true, Masaru was dangerously out of his league. He was about to jump down from the roof and go on his way when the Suna-nin turned, fixing Masaru with pale eyes that reflected the light of the moon.

Masaru froze, unease battling with surprise as he locked eyes with Gaara. There was a weariness in the Suna-nin that Masaru hadn’t been expecting.

“Are you okay?” Masaru asked before he could stop himself. 

Gaara blinked, his face expressionless. “Go away,” he said with a quiet, flat voice. “Or I’ll kill you.”

Masaru stepped back, fear shooting through him. He believed the threat - and definitely believed the red-haired shinobi could carry it out with ease. “Sorry,” he said, taking another step back.

“Go,” Gaara said, turning away from him and looking back up at the moon.

Masaru felt adrenaline shoot through him as soon as the Suna-nin looked away and Masaru quickly jumped from the roof and raced toward his house. His pride was a little wounded by how readily he fled, but he wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t going to stand around and die just to prove he was brave. 

Masaru was so distracted by the thought of Gaara that ran right into Akira-sensei’s brother as he walked down the street.

“Hey,” Kazuo said, grabbing Masaru’s shoulders and moving him a step back. “What’s got you so worked up?”

Masaru looked over his shoulder, back toward where Gaara lurked on the rooftops, then at Kazuo. “Nothing,” Masaru said. “Just-” he sighed. “Just coming to terms with the fact that I’m out of my league.”

Kazuo arched an eyebrow at him. “You’re a genin, of course you’re out of your league. That’s how self-aware genin ought to define their existence.”

Masaru glared at him. “You’re kind of an ass, you know that?”

“What, were you expecting me to tell you how wonderful you are and how much I believe in you? Go to my sister for that nonsense,” Kazuo said, waving away Masaru’s complaint. “If you’re worried about your skills, work harder. Or, better yet, work smarter.”

“I am working hard,” Masaru said, ignoring how petulant he sounded. “And smart.”

Kazuo shrugged. “Then maybe you’re just hopeless.”

“I’m not hopeless,” Masaru said. “What do you even know? You’re not a sensei.”

Kazuo scoffed. “Of course not, I’m not interested in throwing away my life.”

“What?” Masaru asked, taken aback.

“Having a jounin sensei assigned to a team of three genin is stupid,” Kazuo said. “It risks some of our most skilled jounin by assigning them to look after the wellbeing of inexperienced rookies in dangerous situations. Far too often, those jounin are injured or killed looking after their genin and the Village loses a much needed resource, potentially forever.”

Masaru’s eyes narrowed, considering what Kazuo was saying as he remembered his team’s first mission outside the village. Akira-sensei had been injured on that mission and maybe she wouldn’t have been if she hadn’t been looking out for him, Kiyoko, and Shiori.

“You’re worried about Akira-sensei, aren’t you?” Masaru said, sure that he’d read Kazuo’s expression correctly.

Kazuo looked offended. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “As if I’d let sentiment rule me,” he sounded completely disgusted by the very idea. 

Masaru crossed his arms and shot Kazuo a dubious look.

“This ridiculousness is why you’re her favorite,” Kazuo said, scowling. “It’s absolutely shameful, the last thing we need is more sassy ninja who think they’re clever.”

Masaru grinned, the idea of him being Akira-sensei’s favorite made him happier than he expected. 

Kazuo made a disgusted noise and waved Masaru off. “Go home and go to bed,” he said. “Akira and I are going to be working you three hard tomorrow and I will not hesitate to ‘accidentally’ kill you if you don’t wipe the grin off your face.”

Masaru kept his grin in place as he walked away; unlike Gaara’s threat, Kazuo wasn’t serious, even if he was annoyed with Masaru. 

* * *

**Hayashi Akira**

Akira glanced up from her reading as the door to Kazuo’s apartment opened and her brother slunk inside. He shot her a glare and she couldn’t resist smirking. She was probably the only person in the world that could break into Kazuo’s apartment and rifle through his things without being murdered on sight. 

“That boy of yours gets more like you every day,” Kazuo grumbled, setting his shoes by the door and heading into his kitchen.

“What boy?” 

“What boy?” He repeated, refilling the kettle Akira had used to make herself tea. “Masaru. He’s a brat, just like you.”

Akira smiled, she’d have to figure out what Masaru had done to rile Kazuo up - and reward him for it. 

“I thought we were going to meet tomorrow,” Kazuo continued, rapidly changing topics as he so often did.

“You tell me you’ve managed to get the Second Hokage’s notes on his reanimation jutsu and you honestly thought I’d wait until tomorrow to look through them?” Akira shook her head and went back to the scroll she’d been reading.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a lot of information. She wasn’t sure if some of his notes had been lost, or if Tobirama had destroyed them himself, but there was no way this was everything he’d written on this jutsu. 

Kazuo poured himself a cup of tea and settled in a chair across from Akira with a scowl. She was in his favorite chair, her legs draped over one arm as she lounged as comfortably as she could. There was precious little comfortable real estate in Kazuo’s apartment and Akira had no qualms about monopolizing it whenever possible. 

“Is this all you have?” Akira asked, motioning toward the scroll.

Kazuo nodded.

“Damn. There’s nothing in here on how to counter the jutsu. How could the Second have been so irresponsible?”

“There is a way to counter it,” Kazuo said. “The same way you countered it; by sealing the reanimated away.”

Akira grimaced, trying desperately not to think of Haruki trapped in her scorpions’ amber seal. Nobody deserved that fate, least of all her former fiance. “That’s not good enough.”

“No, it isn’t,” Kazuo agreed. “Even if we can eliminate the immediate threat with sealing jutsu, the psychological impact of leaving comrades’ souls trapped could have a devastating effect on morale. We know that Orochimaru has access to this jutsu through Kabuto and he won’t stop coming for Konoha. And, if you’re right about Kabuto’s connections to Sasori, we can’t rule out the possibility of other enemies also being able to reanimate the fallen. We need a better counter.”

Akira nodded, this was bigger than putting Haruki’s soul to rest, though she was having trouble focusing on that bigger picture. She set the scroll down on a table already stacked high with other books and scrolls; Kazuo really needed to organize his things, one strong breeze through an open window and he was in danger of being buried.

“Did you know that he’d been murdered?” She asked, frowning down at the floor. 

Kazuo sighed and Akira heard him set his teacup down. “I found out,” he said, not needing to ask for clarification. “After he was killed.”

Akira’s fists clenched involuntarily and she bit her lower lip, trying to keep control of her reactions. She shouldn’t have asked; of course Kazuo knew that Haruki had been murdered, and of course he hadn’t bothered to tell her.

She looked up as Kazuo knelt in front of her, taking her hands and coaxing them to relax. “I didn’t tell you,” he said with uncharacteristic kindness. “Because nothing short of bringing Haruki back to you would have eased your pain. And I didn’t want to cause you more.”

“Do you know who ordered it?”

Kazuo nodded.

“The Third said the one who gave the order could no longer do such things, is he right?”

“Officially, yes.”

“Officially?”

“Yes.”

Akira sighed and squeezed her brother’s hands. It was unusual for Kazuo to endure this kind of closeness, let alone initiate it. She looked up, feeling like a small child asking her brother to protect her. “Can you kill them?”

Kazuo smiled unhappily and shook his head. “I’d like nothing more, but no. I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Even if I could do so with impunity,” Kazuo said with a small chuckle; clearly he enjoyed Akira’s faith that he could assassinate anyone in Konoha with no repercussions. “Which, for the record, I can’t. I don’t know if I could actually accomplish it.”

“Are they so powerful?” Akira asked; unsure if she meant politically or as a shinobi.

Kazuo nodded, his expression grim. “I suspect they’re more powerful than even I realize.”

Akira felt a small shiver run down her spine. The idea of anyone in the Village too powerful for Kazuo to take on surprised her; the idea that the extent of their power might be unknown to him was downright scary.

Kazuo sighed again and stood, pulling Akira to her feet along with him. Her eyes widened as he pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly for a moment before spinning them both around and releasing her so he could plop down on the comfy chair she’d been sitting on moments ago.

“You ass!” Akira yelled, bursting out laughing at the satisfied look on his face.

Kazuo smirked. “Come on, little sister, you should know me better by now.”

Akira shook her head and resigned herself to the significantly less comfortable chair across from him. She did know him better, and she could still read the concern and fondness in his eyes even as he shot her another triumphant smirk. 

“Now, if we’re quite through with feelings, shall we get to work?” Kazuo asked, sorting through his pile of scrolls.

“You’re the worst,” Akira responded, leaning forward to sort through a pile of her own. It was going to be a long night, but Akira was glad she didn’t have to do this on her own. 


	32. Girl Talk And Guys Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chap is split between Shiori, Kiyoko, and Iruka!

####  **Takeda Kiyoko**

“Let me get this straight,” Kiyoko said holding up her hands and pausing Shiori. “You have a summoning contract?!” She couldn’t help the way her voice rose to a crescendo. 

“Yes?” Shiori said, looking confused.

“AKIRA-SENSEI!” Kiyoko yelled, looking to where Akira-sensei was currently shooting pools of water over the obstacle course for Masaru to work around.

“Yes?” She turned around and gave them an innocent look. 

“You let her get a summoning contract?!” Kiyoko demanded.

“Actually it was my brother. But it was a good idea since Shiori really needed it. Unlike you. How is your blade work coming?” Akira-sensei arched a slender brow. 

Kiyoko crossed her arms over her chest and sat down with Shiori again before she got really scolded. 

Shiori giggled softly, “I take it you wanted one?” 

“Of course!” Kiyoko sighed. “Really badly. I think it would help a lot, you know? Maybe it would be a bird and we could do cool air things together. Or it could be something with fire release and we’d be able to make combo attacks!” 

Shiori hummed thoughtfully and twirled her dark hair around a finger. “I hadn’t thought of learning attacks with my summons. She doesn’t really seem like the type for that though.” 

“What kind of creature is it?! Can I meet her?” Kiyoko said excitedly. 

Shiroi smiled and nodded, “I don’t see why not.” She said.

Shiori stood up and made the hand signs for her summons and a moment later in a large cloud of smoke appeared a spider the size of a pony. 

“Oh, hello, I was looking for Yuko.” Shiori said. 

“I’m sure you were.” The spider said, his voice soft and silky. “She’s busy, so she sent me instead.” 

Kiyoko who had been paralyzed when the spider appeared suddenly sprang to life, screeching and running over behind a tree. “Shiori!” She said, trembling. 

Shiori laughed, clearly amused by her little joke. 

Kiyoko looked at the spider again, it had an almost zebra coloring and huge legs. She shuddered all over. “First scorpions and now spiders. Why can’t anyone have cuddly summons? Kakashi-sensei has a pug for heaven’s sake!” 

“Well, Kakashi-senpai is a softie at heart,” Akira-sensei said, laughing and coming over to meet the new spider. 

Masaru happily flopped on the ground to catch his breath. He turned and grinned at Kiyoko, “How do you know that your summons won’t be an earwig or something?” Apparently he still had enough energy tease. 

Kiyoko stuck her tongue out at him, the only proper response for that statement. 

Shiori smiled at her summons, “I’m sorry for calling you here, I was just trying to show my team my new summons.” She explained. She sounded very formal with her summons, unlike Akira who spoke to her summons like unruly students. 

“It’s alright.” The spider’s eyes swung around, “I haven’t been summoned in a long time. My name is Yuuri.” He said. 

“You’re a jumping spider?” Akira-sensei asked.

“Of course,” Yuuri said, sounding almost offended she would have thought he could be anything else.

Kiyoko shuddered behind the tree. Jumping spiders as big as ponies, that was going to feature in her nightmares tonight. 

“Would you allow me to ride you while you jump?” Shiori said, probably already thinking of how to work with him. 

Yuuri seemed to consider the question. “Yes. You are Yuko-sama’s morsel. I would have to be careful with you. But I would allow it.” He said, then bowed his head, tipping his whole body to Shirori in a strangely sweet gesture. For a spider. 

Kiyoko sighed and tried to reign in her fear of creepy-crawlies. Apparently she was going to have to deal with them for some time. And it was probably important to Shiori. 

She came out from around the tree and walked up to Yuuri. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up and she had goosebumps but she offered the large spider a smile.

“I’m sorry I screamed. It was quite a shock.” She said. She still stood a little behind Shiori. 

Yuuri made a clicking sound with his mouth things that sounded like laughter maybe. “I found it amusing. Humans often are afraid of us. But unless Shiori-chan wishes me to harm you I wouldn’t.” He bowed again, though not as low as he had to Shiori. 

Kiyoko nodded her head back at him. 

“Would you like to practice jumping now, Shiori-chan?” Yuuri asked. “It would be good for you to learn in practice rather than combat.” 

Shiori looked at Akira-sensei who nodded. “He’s right.” Akira-sensei smiled. 

Shiori stepped up to her summons and Kiyoko had to look away, she didn’t think she was quite ready to see her sweet friend jumping around on a giant spider. 

“Sensei, can I go work on the wind tunnel combo attack with Masaru?” Kiyoko asked.

Masaru groaned but Akira-sensei nodded. “Go ahead.” 

  
  


After training, Kiyoko talked Shiori into coming back to her house. It wasn’t hard. Kiyoko’s mom was in town and making tonkatsu tonight. 

Kiyoko linked her arm through Shiori’s and took her up to her room. “So, I’m still not talking to you about… that.” Kiyoko waved her hand a little, avoiding saying anything about Shiori’s parents. “But, how are you doing otherwise?” 

Shiori smiled and sat on the floor, grabbing one of the fuzzy pink pillows to hold to her chest. “Other than that? I’m doing really well. I have great friends, nice new jutsus, I’m in the third round of the chunin exams. I’m happy. Other than that.” Shiori added the last with a frown and a sigh. 

Kiyoko sat next to her. Nana creeped out from under the bed, purring happily. The grey cat had always loved Shiori. 

Nana used her paw to make Shiori lower the pillow into her lap. Then she crawled up on it like a princess, leaning against Shiori and purring loudly. 

Kiyoko and Shiori laughed. “Now I need my other kitty,” Kiyoko said, wanting a purr baby in her lap too. “Momo!” She called him. After a moment they heard his heavy step on the stairs. 

The large tabby came in and happily cuddled up on Kiyoko’s lap and the room was filled with purrs soon. 

Kiyoko chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you’re doing well. But about that other thing. Dad says time will help.”

“You told your dad?” Shiori asked. 

“No, he’s just said it about other people passing. That with time it aches less.” Kiyoko didn’t have any personal experience with a loss of someone close to her. All her grandparents had died before she was born so it had always been the four of them in her family. And there had been some close calls when Mom or Dad got wounded, but they always got better. 

Shiori sighed and hugged Nana softly, “I suppose. I just wish time would hurry up.” 

Kiyoko leaned in and head butted Shiori’s shoulder like her cats would. There really weren’t any words that could help, but she wanted Shiori to know she was here for her. 

Shiori smiled softly at Kiyoko and nodded. They didn’t speak for a little bit, both of them deep in thought and enjoying petting the sweet cats.

“Have you told Neji?” Kiyoko asked after a while.

Shiori shook her head, “I don’t know how. He still feels the loss of his own parents a great deal, I think. I don’t want to bring up anything that would hurt him further.” 

Kiyoko smiled, she knew Shiori was more delicate about these types of situations than Kiyoko would be in her place. “I’m sure he would be glad to know. Maybe lend you a shoulder to lean on or a hug.” She smiled and bumped her shoulder.

Shiroi giggled a little in spite of herself, “I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad. But let’s put that aside for now. You need to talk to me about Kiba.” She said with a mischievous grin. 

Kiyoko blushed suddenly. “Oh really?” She squeaked, totally unprepared for the shift in topic. 

Shiori laughed and nodded, “From that blush, I’m guessing there is something you haven’t told me yet.” 

Kiyoko felt that wonderful tight feeling in her chest and grinned in spite of herself. “Yeah.” She nodded.

She scooted closer, Nana and Momo unhappy about touching had to readjust on their respective laps so there was distance between them again. But it meant Momo’s fat butt slid off Kiyoko’s thigh and he rested half on the floor and half on her lap. 

“So, when you were in the hospital still, Kiba saw me looking all sad one day…” She told Shiori all about her first date and first kiss. The two girls giggled and grinned at each other.

“So what’s happened since? That was weeks ago!” Shiori said.

“Well, we’ve been to the ramen shop two more times, and last time I suggested we could do something else and he looked so confused it was cute. But we’ve also had some more kissing and it’s so nice. Everything about him is so nice.” She said eagerly. 

Shiori grinned and hugged Kiyoko. “That’s great!”

“Now it’s your turn.” Kiyoko grinned, “Dish about you and Neji. I know he’s been around to see you even though he’s as busy training as we are.”

Shiori blushed and grinned. “Yes, but we haven’t done anything like dates or stuff…” 

Kiyoko had to assume ‘stuff’ was kissing. Which was a shame because both of them could use a good kiss.

“That’s okay!” She smiled anyway, “After the exams things will calm down.” She said. 

Shiori sighed and nodded, “I hope so. A date sounds really nice when you explain it like that. Though I think we’d have more fun just training together.” 

Kiyoko laughed. “Silly, anything can be a date. You just have to be together and it can be a date.” 

Shiori giggled and smiled, “That other stuff. That would be really nice too.” 

Kiyoko grinned, “Well you know Masaru is the real knowledge source for this stuff. He has been on dozens of dates and I have it from two different sources that he has totally kissed people. As in multiple different people.” 

“Lucky bastard.” Shiori laughed. 

Kiyoko nodded and laughed happily. 

“Girls! Dinnertime!” Kiyoko’s mom called. 

It took a few minutes to persuade the cats that they had to get up but then they eagerly ran down to eat. 

* * *

####  **Kagemura Shiori **

After dinner, Kiyoko insisted on walking Shiori home - arm in arm the entire way. Shiori was used to a lot of affection from Kiyoko, but this was even more than usual. Normally, Shiori would have extracted herself from Kiyoko shortly after leaving her house, but she understood why Kiyoko was being extra clingy. And she appreciated the sentiment. Shiori smiled and squeezed Kiyoko’s arm softly. As painful as the last few weeks had been, having Kiyoko - and Masaru - doing so much to support her made it a bit easier.

They were just reaching Shiori’s house when Neji came around the corner, heading toward them.

Kiyoko grinned and waved enthusiastically, dropping Shiori’s arm to do so. “Hey, Neji! Out for a walk?”

Neji paused and Shiori could just read a flash of hesitation in his eyes before his face returned to its usual cool expression. “Yes.”

He didn’t elaborate but Shiori felt that increasingly familiar flutter of excitement in her stomach at the idea that he may have been coming to visit her.

Kiyoko seemed to catch that implication as well and looked between Neji and Shiori meaningfully before raising her eyebrows at Shiori.

Shiori realized a second too late what Kiyoko was planning; before she could stop her, Kiyoko stepped toward Neji and leaned forward with a conspiratorial air. “Neji, Shiori might need some company tonight; she could use some cheering up.”

Neji frowned, looking between Kiyoko and Shiori with a mixture of concern and confusion that Shiori would’ve found adorable, if she weren’t currently focused on figuring out how to beat Kiyoko into a pulp but still have her ready for the fight tomorrow. 

“Okay, I’ll leave you two now. Bye!” Kiyoko said, winking at Shiori before skipping back toward her house.

“Are you alright?” Neji asked once Kiyoko was gone; his confusion giving way to his concern.

Shiori sighed; the last thing she wanted was to cause him distress, but Kiyoko was right in thinking he should know. There were precious few people in her life that Shiori considered important, and Neji certainly made that list.

“Tea?” She croaked and then cleared her throat a little before trying again. “Would you like to come in for tea?” 

If her blatant deflection of his question bothered him, Neji didn’t comment. Instead, he smiled softly and nodded. “Yes, thank you.” 

She nodded and unlocked her door, thinking over what she was going to say. She’d never had to tell anyone before, Akira-sensei had done that for her. Surely, she couldn’t just come out and say it? There had to be a way to take the finality out of it? But, no, the finality was what really defined the current situation, wasn’t it?

She frowned as she put on the kettle and readied the tea; Neji sat politely at her table, giving her space to think. Shiori was used to talking about sensitive topics; that came with the ‘Kagemura hostage’ status. But the factual, occasionally flippant, way she talked about the history of her clan was not at all suited to the emotions roiling in her stomach and tightening her throat. 

When the tea was ready, she set everything on the table, as well as a plate of almond cookies from Takara-san’s bakery. Normally, Shiori loved those cookies with her tea, but now she wasn’t sure she could manage them.

“Whatever Kiyoko was talking about,” Neji said as Shiori took a seat next to him. “We don’t have to talk about it. I know she put you on the spot.”

“Yes she did,” Shiori said, though she could repress a fond smile; Kiyoko frequently put Shiori onto spots she wouldn’t have otherwise found herself, but 9 times out of 10, Kiyoko proved right to do so. “I -” Shiori sighed, cutting herself off as dozens of sentences flashed through her head and none of them seemed like what she really wanted to say.

“Shiori,” Neji drew her out of her whirlwind of thoughts. “It’s okay, we can just enjoy our tea. No one should feel forced to share their private thoughts.”

Shiori felt a wave of gratitude wash over her as she looked at him. Neji had an uncanny ability of helping her center herself and find some semblance of calm within the storm of her mind. 

“I want to tell you,” she said, after a moment of simply enjoying his stabilizing presence. “But I don’t have an…” she paused, searching for the right word and failing to find it, “an elegant way of saying it.”

Neji smiled and there was a glint of amusement in his eye; he’d teased her in the past of being too worried about finding the perfect way to say something. Which Shiori thought was rich, coming from him of all people.

She took a deep breath and continued. “Akira-sensei went to the Kagemura compound after I was stabbed,” she paused, realizing that she’d never told Neji who had stabbed her. “It was my brother, my twin, Akira-sensei went to the compound to get answers.”

Neji’s eyes widened, but he didn’t interrupt and Shiori was grateful.

“I don’t know all the details yet but there was a coup, of sorts, and the leadership of the clan,” her voice broke a little, but she pressed on, “my parents were killed. The compound has been deserted for a long time; it appears that my brother has led them elsewhere.”

At some point as she was speaking, Shiori had looked away from Neji, focusing on the steam rising from her teacup instead. 

“Shiori,” Neji’s soft voice carried a dozen sentiments:  _ I’m sorry. What can I do? How can I help? I wish this hadn’t happened. _ But when she turned to him, all she saw was his hand resting on the table, palm up, ready for her to take it if she wanted.

Shiori grabbed his hand like it was a life line and clung to him. “I’ll be okay,” she said, trying to reassure herself as much - if not more - than him. “I just need time to get used to it.”

He nodded, “I understand.” And she suspected he truly did. 

They sat in silence, Shiori still clinging to Neji’s hand, as they sipped their tea. She couldn’t help worrying that he was thinking of his own parents, that she’d dug into old wounds and brought the pain of them fresh to the surface. 

“When you’re ready,” Neji said, once his tea was gone. “Should you ever want to talk about it more, I would be there to listen.”

Shiori leaned toward him, resting her head on his shoulder. It was a level of familiarity that she might not have allowed herself in another situation, but now she needed the comfort. “I would like that,” she said, blushing at their closeness, and the thought of long talks in the future. 

She allowed herself a moment more of comfort before pulling away and glancing at the clock. It was late, and they both had a trying day ahead of them. “The finals are tomorrow,” she said, standing and gathering the dishes.

Neji nodded and stood. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I can be,” she responded. “You?”

Neji nodded again and smirked with a competitive glint in his eye. “If we end up matched against each other, be assured I won’t go easy on you.” 

Shiori arched an eyebrow, catching a bit of his competitiveness. “As if I’d need you to,” she chuckled.

* * *

####  **Umino Iruka **

Iruka sighed as he paid the bill at the Ramen Shop. Naruto had eaten even more today than usual. The boy thanked him and was off in a flash of orange and yellow. 

“He’s been training hard. I’m surprised you were able to pull him away even for ramen.” 

Iruka turned and saw Kakashi leaning against the side of the shop. He tried not to grimace. Things had been very… distant between them since Kakashi had called him out in front of the Hokage back before the first exam. Not that he blamed Kakashi, he’d been right, Iruka shouldn’t have interfered. But he still wished it hadn’t happened like that. 

“If his appetite for ramen ever disappeared I know we’d be in real trouble.” Iruka chuckled a little and waved, not trying to stay around and talk. Things would get back to normal eventually, but there wasn’t any need to try and hurry it along. 

Kakashi, however, didn’t seem to agree. He fell into step alongside Iruka. 

“Where are you off to now, Iruka-san?” Kakashi asked. 

“Heading home probably. Takara is preparing a cake so we won’t be going out tonight.” He replied with a shrug. 

“The two of you have been going out most nights,” Kakashi said, sounding happy. 

Iruka blushed a little, “Yeah we have.” He said, smiling in spite of himself. 

“You need a guys night,” Kakashi said, putting a hand on Iruka’s shoulder. 

“I do?” Iruka looked at him curiously. 

“Tonight would be good,” Kakashi said, putting his hands in his pockets, looking like it was an idle suggestion. But Iruka knew his friend better than that. It could be that this was Kakashi’s way of apologizing. If so, he wouldn’t say no. 

Iruka nodded, “Sounds good.” He agreed.

“Let’s go,” Kakashi said, steering Iruka toward the bar he liked. 

“Alright.” Iruka chuckled. 

As they walked Kakashi and Iruka saw Asuma-san looking tired. After a full day of trying to get Shikamaru to train, Iruka could understand that all too well.

“We could invite Asuma-san,” Iruka suggested to Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded his approval and they went over to say hello to him. 

“On your own tonight, Asuma?” Kakashi asked him. 

“Apparently. Kurenai's team has been training even harder than ever.” He sounded very depressed by that.

Iruka smiled. “She’s a very dedicated sensei.” 

“We were heading for a drink,” Kakashi said, nodding toward the bar. 

Asuma put out his cigarette and smiled, “Room for one more?” 

“Of course. It’s guys night.” Iruka gave Kakashi a look, “And I think Kakashi-senpai is buying.” 

Kakashi made a little sighing pained sound and nodded, “That’s right.”

Iruka laughed, so it was an apology. Otherwise, Kakashi was far too cheap to part with any money.

Asuma grinned, no doubt he understood the significance of Kakashi being willing to pay for a full night of drinking. “This sounds fun. We’ll get the good stuff!” He said happily. 

Kakashi made another pained sound. “Of course.” He said stiffly. 

Iruka and Asuma grinned at each other and hurried into the bar. 

Three hours later Iruka was red-faced and starting to notice the room was sliding in one direction and then the next. Between the three of them, he had the strongest tolerance to alcohol, which had surprised the hell out of Asuma and Kakashi. 

Asuma-san was already quite drunk and Kakashi-senpai was right behind him. Iruka knew Kakashi must be kinda drunk when he didn’t even complain or grimace when they ordered another bottle. 

“That woman! She’s impossible! Like all women.” Asuma was complaining. He’d gotten on the subject of his girlfriend a little bit ago. 

“All she wants is a token of commitment! It’s not that terrible!” Iruka rolled his eyes. 

“Commitment is terrible!” Kakashi slapped a hand down on the table. “Don’t give in!” He said, looking at Asuma. 

“I won’t! Why should we have to tie ourselves down anyway!” Asuma agreed heartily. 

Iruka laughed. “Because we love them and it makes them happy?” He pointed out. 

Kakashi scoffed and shook his head. 

“You are so… right.” Asuma groaned loudly and dropped his head onto the table. 

Kakashi sighed loudly. “Nooo… don’t give in.” He shook Asuma’s shoulder. 

“This is why you are chronically single, Kakashi.” Iruka pointed out, actually pointing at Kakashi.

“Don’t give me bad advice.” Asuma kicked Kakashi under the table. 

Kakashi looked like he might hit Asuma back, so Iruka quickly intervened, he got up from his side of the table and went around to sit between the other two. 

“Let’s get some more snacks!” He suggested. 

Kakashi and Asuma both crossed their arms and sat in annoyed silence for a minute.

“Speaking of impossible women…” Asuma got a mischievous smile on his face, “Iruka, you should have heard Akira scolding Kakashi.” He said. 

“Asuma!” Kakashi shouted in alarm, the reaction entirely fueled by alcohol.

Iruka laughed and looked at Asuma, “Why did she scold him?” He asked. 

“Cause he was so rude to you that day!” Asuma said, glaring at Kakashi around Iruka. 

Iruka blushed, thinking of Akira having to stick up for him was embarrassing. 

“See? You embarrassed him by mentioning it!” Kakashi said, putting his arm around Iruka and pulling him away from Asuma. 

Iruka couldn’t help but laugh. He’d never seen Kakashi and Asuma this drunk. 

“You are the one who should be embarrassed!” Asuma said, tugging on Iruka’s arm. 

“Guy rules, don’t mention uncomfortable things.” Kakashi pointed out tugging Iruka back to him again. 

Iruka kinda regretted getting between the two as he ended up being part of the tug of war. 

“Guy rules, don’t be an ass.” Asuma countered, tugging Iruka again. 

Kakashi stilled though and he sighed. “Yeah. I am. Akira was right to yell at me.” He looked at Iruka. “I wasn’t thinking straight.” 

Iruka blushed again, “You were right too though. I shouldn’t have jumped in.” 

“But I didn’t need to be a jerk about it.” Kakashi insisted. 

“Well… no, you didn’t.” Iruka laughed. 

Kakashi laughed and smiled at him. 

“Aww, we’re all friends again.” Asuma grinned and poured more drinks. 

Iruka laughed happily and nodded. 

  
  


Iruka groaned and held his head as he felt his brain sloshing from side to side. The two jounin had noticed he wasn’t as drunk as them and they’d subjected him to a drinking challenge. He sighed as he heard the owner of the bar ring a bell signaling they were closing for the night. 

The three of them got up, all a little unsteady on their feet. It was a sign of how drunk Kakashi was when he paid in full without a single word or noise of complaint. 

Iruka wobbled outside and chuckled when they saw Kurenai looking cross. 

“I’d wondered where you were.” She said, giving Asuma a look. She then turned and walked away. 

Asuma followed behind her like there was an invisible cord attaching them, he offered a few excuses as they walked but Iruka didn’t hear Kurenai respond. And he strongly suspected she wasn’t going to respond at all. 

Kakashi and Iruka laughed and started walking to their places, a supportive hand on each other’s shoulders. 

“Tonight was really nice, Kakashi-senpai,” Iruka said happily. 

“Don’t mention it,” Kakashi said as they stopped at Iruka’s apartment. 

Iruka frowned, thinking of his friend walking home drunk all alone. It was sad. “We should call Akira to come to help you.” He suggested.

“Oh, no way.” Kakashi shook his head. “This is not a good time.” 

“Why not?” Iruka asked, struggling to unlock his door. 

“She’s waiting for me to do something. I don’t want to spoil it by being drunk.” He shook his head. 

“You wouldn’t spoil things. In fact, it might make you two finally  _ do something _ .” Iruka said before blushing and realizing he said too much. He couldn’t be blurting out secrets now. But these two were so damn frustrating… 

“Doing something would be nice.” A voice said from the roof. 

The two drunks stumbled back and looked up, seeing Akira above them. 

“How long have you been there?” Iruka asked. 

“What are you doing up there?” Kakashi asked at the same time.

Akira giggled and jumped down, “Well, I wouldn’t miss this sight for the world.” She said. “Plus, I bumped into Kurenai and she told me to come over.” She smiled. 

“We were just talking about you,” Iruka said, still a little confused. 

Akira chuckled and helped him with his lock, “Are you going to be okay?” She asked him, speaking slowly. 

“Of course.” He nodded, “You know my tolerance level is great. I’ll be fine.” 

“It’s ridiculously great. What the hell is with that kind of tolerance?” Kakashi grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and positively sulking. 

Akira laughed and waved at Iruka. “Then I’ll come to check on you tomorrow. Drink some water and go to bed.” She said. 

Iruka nodded and waved eagerly. “Night!” He said happily and went inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all are enjoying a little more fluff in the lead up to the exams and all the tough stuff that follows.


	33. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so late but I made it before the weekend was over :D

Akira’s eyes flew open as she was yanked away from the genjutsu block she’d been working at unraveling and pulled out of Kagemura Seijiro’s mind. Next to her, Yamanaka Inoichi was taking deep, calming breaths. 

“What happened?” She asked, surprised to find herself a bit breathless as well.

“There was another trap,” Inoichi explained. “I didn’t notice it while I was working on another genjutsu block; I got sloppy.”

“You managed to get us out in time,” Akira said, looking back at the unconscious Seijiro. He’d been cooperative, willing to answer any question put to him, but it became clear very quickly that any useful information he had was trapped, protected by genjutsu. It was a fairly common technique; sealing important memories behind genjutsu blocks made it harder for interrogators to get information. In some cases, it could also help an individual overcome traumatic memories. Akira had placed more genjutsu protections than she could count over the years, and she’d torn even more than that down. But the ones in Seijiro’s mind were more complex, no doubt because a Kagemura had cast them; it was taking her and Inochi all the time she could spare away from training her students to get mere slivers of information from him.

She’d told Shiori about Seijiro and she had given her student the option to speak with him, though she’d advised against it. Without knowing if there were any specific genjutsu triggers in his mind, Akira didn’t like the idea of letting Shiori anywhere near him. The last thing she needed was to be attacked again. Shiori had agreed with Akira’s reasoning, or perhaps she just hadn’t wanted to deal with Seijiro and his information yet. 

“We should stop for the night,” Inoichi said, sounding exhausted. He’d been immensely helpful; without his mind transmission jutsu, Akira would’ve been at a serious disadvantage. Of course, she did owe Ibiki more than a few favors for all the overtime Inoichi was clocking.

“You’re probably right,” Akira said with a sigh. 

“Don’t sound so disappointed, we made good progress.”

Akira smiled and nodded. “We did, but you know me, I hate to leave things unfinished.”

Inoichi laughed. “That’s why you’re Ibiki’s favorite.”

Akira’s smile turned into a smirk as she and Inoichi left the Intelligence Division. “And here I thought it was my glittering personality.”

“That’s why you’re Tonbo’s favorite.”

“Ah, that’s right,” Akira said with a laugh. 

They paused at a crossroads and waved goodbye as they each went separate ways. Akira was very ready to crawl into bed and sleep for at least twenty-four hours. Unfortunately, the final stage of the chunin exam started in about nine hours. Kiyoko and Shiori were ready, or at least as ready as they could hope to be. They had a wide range of skills and strategies to choose from and Akira was proud of their progress; Masaru’s as well. Even though he didn’t have a match to prepare for, he’d been working just as hard as his teammates - if not harder. 

Akira paused when she saw Kurenai striding toward her, a dejected -and a bit wobbly - Asuma in tow. 

“Oh my,” she said, biting back a laugh. “What have you been up to?”

“Drinking,” Kurenai said, clearly annoyed. “Instead of having dinner with me like he was supposed to.”

“I thought you were training with your team,” Asuma tried to defend himself but Kurenai just shook her head. 

“You’d better go find Iruka and Kakashi,” Kurenai said. As peeved as she was, Akira could see the affection in her eyes as she glanced back at Asuma. “They’re not much better than this oaf.”

Akira laughed and nodded. “Hopefully they haven’t passed out on the sidewalk or anything. See you tomorrow.”

“Bright and early,” Kurenai said, grinning at the idea as Asuma groaned.

Akira laughed again and let Kurenai lead her stumbling lover away. They were cute together, but Asuma was going to have to get better at listening if he wanted to hold on to her. Akira rolled her eyes at herself, like she was in a position to offer relationship advice.

She sped off toward Iruka’s apartment, knowing that - even drunk - Kakashi would insist on making sure Iruka got home safe. She couldn’t resist making a dramatic entrance when she saw the two fumbling at Iruka’s doorstep, nor could she resist quipping at the two as he helped Iruka unlock his door.

“Drink some water and go to bed,” Akira said, smiling fondly at Iruka.

He grinned back and waved at her with even more enthusiasm than usual. “Night!” He said before stumbling into his apartment. 

“Now,” Akira said, taking Kakashi by the elbow and grinning. “Let’s get you to bed as well.”

“Which bed did you have in mind?” He asked her, letting her lead him down the sidewalk. 

Akira laughed, she’d seen Kakashi drunk once, maybe twice before, but she didn’t remember him being this amusing.

“Your bed,” she said. “No, better make that my bed, it’s closer,” she amended - as if she hadn’t intended to take him to her apartment all along. 

He glanced at her and managed to walk a, mostly, straight line as they made their way through the dark streets. Fortunately - or perhaps unfortunately, Akira wasn’t really sure any more - none of Konoha’s gossips spotted them as they made it to her home.

She stepped into her apartment and tugged on his arm. “Don’t worry, I’m a lady of honor. Your virtue is safe tonight,” she teased, coaxing him inside. 

“That’s not what I hoped to hear,” Kakashi said as he shut the door behind himself.

Akira glanced up at him, trying to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat. The only light in her apartment was moonlight, streaming in from the open window and somehow landing only on him. Akira laughed and shook her head. “This isn’t fair, Kakashi-senpai,” she teased. “We never seem to be on the same page at the same time.”

She started helping him out of his vest and long-sleeve shirt. It was warmer than usual in her apartment; she’d started a long, hot bake in her oven, drying out some herbs she needed for her next antidote and she knew that Kakashi preferred to keep his own apartment cooler than average so he must be sweltering.

Kakashi didn’t seem to mind her manhandling, in fact he took some initiative of his own and removed his mask and forehead protector. Akira allowed herself a quick moment to appreciate his revealed face bathed in the moonlight. He was so handsome, Akira wasn’t sure it was fair. The strong line of his jaw, the supple bow of his lips, Akira wanted to spend hours mapping out every square inch of him until she had him memorized down to the last detail.

When Kakashi moved to pull off his sleeveless undershirt, Akira stopped him. “Better not get carried away,” she said; not entirely sure which of them she was warning. The last time she’d seen him nearly naked, she’d almost jumped him on the spot; she didn’t need that kind of temptation tonight.

Kakashi looked down at her, no doubt easily spotting the blush on her cheeks. His usual mask of bored indifference was replaced with a gentle smile and Akira felt her heart beat faster. 

“You are very good, Akira,” he said, kissing her forehead. 

A soft, happy sound escaped her and she stepped back before he got any other ideas. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?” She asked with a breathy laugh.

“You don’t mind trouble, though,” Kakashi said, closing the distance between them again. “In fact, I think you prefer it.”

He cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her. 

She tasted the liquor on his breath, smelled the faint remnant of Asuma’s cigarettes lingering on his clothes, reminded herself that she was absolutely not going to sleep with Kakashi when he was this intoxicated -

His hands were around her waist and slipping under her shirt. He pulled her closer and she forgot what she’d been thinking. It felt so good. Pressed against him, his strong arms holding her tightly but so carefully like she was a precious thing that he couldn’t stand to let go of but was so afraid to break. 

She let out a small huff of laughter when his fingertips skimmed the lace on her bra; he was known for his fast hands but she hadn’t thought to apply it to this circumstance before. She wove her fingers through his hair, tugging slightly and earning herself a rumbling growl that made her shiver and instinctively press herself closer to him. 

Kakashi moved his attention to her neck and she was surprised to find herself without her shirt. “When did that happen,” she asked with a laugh, tugging on his hair again. 

Kakashi’s only response was a thoughtful hum against her throat. Akira felt it vibrate all the way down her spine and she shivered. “Aren’t you a skilled shinobi?” She teased.

He bit her gently, his tongue laving at the mark afterward. “I’m glad you finally noticed,” he murmured against her skin. “I plan on devoting all my skills to you.”

Akira’s breath caught; at any other time she would have rolled her eyes at that line but when he was doing such delightful things to her…

With an almost superhuman effort she gently pushed him away, lamenting the loss of his lips the second they were gone. 

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she said. “But not tonight.”

“Not tonight?” Kakashi repeated, giving his best impression of puppy eyes. Which was a pretty damn good impression considering he had one eye.

Akira chuckled and fluffed his hair. “Not tonight.”

Kakashi leaned into her touch, holding her hand to his cheek.

“You have no idea how I’ve longed for this. For your touch; for your attention to be on me and me alone. How resigned I was to knowing that I would never have those things.” His voice was soft and more vulnerable than Akira had ever heard it.

Her heart melted at the thought, dismayed that he’d spent so long wanting her without her realizing it and also terribly excited by that fact that Kakashi -  _ the Hatake Kakashi-  _ had desired her so ardently for so long. She stroked his cheek gently, her thumb trailing over the scar below his eye. 

“Come on,” she said with a gentle smile and took his hand, entwining their fingers and pulling him toward her bed.

Her damnable honor wouldn’t let her take advantage of an inebriated man, but her honor was silent on the issue of cuddling him for all she was worth.

Akira didn’t have a very large bed; it was large enough for her, of course, but poor Kakashi’s feet were almost certainly going to hang off the end. She threw back the blankets and climbed in, scooting all the way up against the wall. 

“Come here,” she said, patting the bed next to her.

Kakashi smiled and did as he was told, laying his head on her pillow. His feet did hang off the bed at the ankle but he didn’t seem to mind.

Akira threw the blanket over both of them and put her arm around him. Their foreheads were nearly touching and she realized it might have been better to spoon. Especially as Kakashi glanced down at her lips again with open longing.

She chuckled and stroked his silver hair, humming gently. “Go to sleep, Kakashi.”

“Seems like a waste,” he said, even as he began to relax. His arm went around her waist and he closed his eye at last.

Akira smiled and kept humming, running her fingers through his hair. She couldn’t wait to give him hell for this. And she really couldn’t wait for the time when they finally managed to be on the same page at the same time. 

When dawn came, Akira was still happily curled up with Kakashi, in pretty much the same position they’d fallen asleep in the night before. Except that Kakashi had somehow put one of his legs between hers, his knee between her thighs. She was content to ignore the dawn, and for the sake of sleeping longer, she was also going to ignore what their legs had done in their sleep.

When the sunlight hit Kakashi’s face, though, he bolted up in bed. “Shit,” he cursed and jumped to his feet.

“What’s wrong?” Akira asked, pulling the blanket over her head.

“Sasuke, I was supposed to go back to him last night. And today is the test. Damnit! Where are my clothes?” Kakashi ran from her room, banging around her living room as he searched for his clothes. 

Akira laughed and pulled the pillow over her head, letting him sort everything out. If morning sex was off the table, she was going back to sleep for at least another hour.

  
  


It was a few hours later by the time Akira left her apartment; Kakashi had sped away as soon as he’d found his clothes, not even bothering to say more than a quickly shouted goodbye. She was going to have to tease him about fleeing so quickly. If she didn’t know better, she might think he was worried about facing her. 

Iruka opened the door quickly when Akira knocked; looking far too chipper for someone who had been too drunk to unlock that door the previous night.

“Good morning, Akira,” he said. “Ready to go or do you have time for a quick cup of tea first?”

Akira smiled, “I can’t say no to some tea.”

“Oh good,” Iruka said, stepping aside so she could enter. “Takara brought over some taiyaki earlier.”

“Did she?” Akira asked. “And did she bring you any other treats?”

Iruka shot her a scandalized look that was only slightly ruined by his vibrant blush. “You of all people don’t get to tease me today, Akira,” he said, preparing tea for both of them. “I remember you carting Kakashi off last night.”

Akira laughed. “Carted him off straight to bed,” she said before sighing. “Unfortunately not in the way you were implying.”

Iruka sat at the table and offered her a plate of truly adorable little fish shaped cakes. “Seriously? Iruka asked, looking legitimately surprised.

“Hey!” Akira frowned at him. “You were a bit tipsy yourself but Kakashi was outright drunk; I want him, but I’m not about to accost him.”

“You do want him though, right?”

Akira shot Iruka an incredulous glance. “Have you not been listening to me whining at you for the last month?”

“I don’t mean-” Iruka sighed and shook his head. “I mean, are you sure this is something you want?”

Akira frowned and Iruka looked down at his tea cup. He seemed to be struggling with something and, for once, Akira couldn’t quite pin down what.

“Are you worried about Kakashi?” She asked, finally. 

“A bit,” Iruka admitted. “And you. You’re my best friend and I want you to be happy. But Kakashi’s my friend too, and I want him to be happy.”

“You’re worried that we won’t be happy together?” Akira asked, her chest tightening a little at the thought.

“No,” Iruka said quickly. “It isn’t that, I think you could be very happy together. I know you’re not a fickle person, Akira, but you are guarded. It’s been years since you’ve really opened your heart to anyone like this. I just want you to be sure that this is something you want to try, because it wouldn’t be fair to either of you if it wasn’t.”

Akira sat back in her chair and took a sip of tea; giving Iruka the courtesy of thinking about his concern. She couldn’t deny her physical attraction to Kakashi, and she wouldn’t bother to pretend that wasn’t on her mind when she thought about him. But that wasn’t the only thing that came to mind when she thought of the jounin. She also thought about those rare, precious moments when he let his guard down and actually laughed. Or when he got so caught up in a stupid competition with Gai that he forgot to act aloof. She thought about how he’d dropped everything to help her when Shiori was stabbed, how he’d known exactly what she’d needed.

Iruka smiled and Akira tilted her head at him questioningly.

“Never mind,” he said, finishing his tea. “I think it’ll all work out fine.”

Akira frowned, taken aback by his complete turn around. “What?”

“Oh, like you’re the only one who can read a facial expression,” Iruka said, taking their empty teacups to the sink. “Come on, we’re going to be late to get your brother.”

They were late to get Kazuo; so late, in fact, that he had apparently gone on without them. 

“So impatient,” Akira said as she and Iruka made their way to the arena.

“He’s never been great at waiting,” Iruka said with a smile. “Maybe he’s really excited to see how the students do?”

“Don’t count on it,” Akira said with a laugh. “He’ll pay attention, of course, but he doesn’t really have a direct stake in the outcome.”

Akira knew Kazuo would be mildly interested in how Kiyoko and Shiori did and what strategies they chose to employ. He’d also be interested in Nara Shikamaru’s performance. Kazuo had a soft spot for Shikamaru’s father, Shikaku, though Kazuo would never admit it. Shikaku had taken Kazuo under his wing after their father had died and Kazuo hadn’t forgotten that kindness. Even if he did his level best to act like he had.

“Lazy morning?” Kazuo asked as Akira and Iruka neared the arena.

Akira shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Like you’ve been up to super important things.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Kazuo’s tone was teasing but there was a glint in his eye that made her nervous. It was that same glint he got every time he was expecting trouble and found it.

“Oh, Kazuo-san, Akira-san,” Takara spotted them and hurried forward. “Good morning, it’s so nice to see you.” She took Iruka’s hand while she greeted them and Iruka blushed fiercely.

“Good morning,” Akira said cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear at how adorable they were as a couple

“Takara, I thought you were busy today,” Iruka said, clearly pleased to see her.

“I am,” she said. “But I had a few things that needed to be delivered nearby so I thought I’d take the chance to say hello.”

“It was lovely to see you,” Akira said, taking her brother by the arm and steering him away. “We’ll catch you later, Iruka.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the pair and grinned again. “They are too cute to be allowed.”

Kazuo rolled his eyes. “What is your fascination with couples?”

“What’s your fascination with being a grumpy old man?” Akira shot back.

“I’m not old,” Kazuo said. 

“You’re ancient.”

“Is Asuma old? We’re the same age.”

“Chronologically, maybe, but you have an attitude older than the Hokage.”

“You’re hilarious,” Kazuo said dryly. 

“And not wrong.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“Uh-huh.” The pair stopped outside a side entrance to the arena. Akira’s team was going to meet them here before Kiyoko and Shiori had to go prepare for their matches.”So, are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?” Akira asked, keeping her expression pleasant for anyone that may be watching.

“There’s a very good chance this exam won’t go off without a hitch,” Kazuo said quietly. “I can’t say for sure, but I’d be shocked if we get through this without an incident.”

“We’ve upped the security,” Akira said, thinking about the precautions that had been taken since Orochimaru was spotted in the forest.

“And Hayate was still killed.”

Akira frowned, they still didn’t know who killed him. 

“Just, keep your eyes open,” Kazuo said. “And not only on the matches.”

Akira was about to retort when she spotted her students approaching.

Masaru looked the same as ever, dressed in his favorite teal sweatshirt and baggy black pants. His hands were stuffed into his pockets but at least he wasn’t slouching as badly as usual. Kiyoko was next to him, nearly skipping as they approached the arena. She wore her usual tunic and leggings, though today the leggings were white and the tunic a rather fetching green; only a few shades lighter than Akira’s own tank top. Akira, of course, decided to take that as a compliment. Next to Kiyoko, walking a few steps behind but still clearly part of the group, Shiori was dressed in all black. Her long hair was loose and blended into the dark fabric of her dress. The silver pendant around her neck caught the sunlight and Akira knew Shiori had made an interesting choice about what her strategy for the exam would be.

“This just got significantly more interesting,” Kazuo said and Akira knew he’d noticed the Kagemura pendant as well.

“Sensei,” Kiyoko said, skipping up to them. Her blonde hair was braided and gathered into a bun on the side of her head, giving her unobstructed access to the sword strapped to her back. Akira had officially given Kiyoko the sword the other day after making a few modifications to it; the exuberant kunoichi had more than earned it. The old red leather wrap on the hilt had been too worn so Akira had replaced it with a new wrap, this time in Kiyoko’s preferred pink. She’d also made sure the blade was nearly sharp enough to cut someone if they only looked at it. 

“Are you ready?” Akira asked Kiyoko and Shiori.

“You bet!” Kiyoko said and Shiori nodded.

“Whatever happens,” Akira said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I’ll only be proud of you if you win,” Kazuo said.

Akira rounded on him and smacked his arm. “That’s enough out of you! Now you’d better get inside,” she said, turning back to Kiyoko and Shiori. “Good luck!”

She watched with a smile as they both hugged Masaru - Kiyoko significantly more energetically than Shiori - before they headed inside together.

“Are you going to sit with your sister?” Akira asked Masaru.

“Yeah, and Mom. She’s technically on duty, but she’s going to watch some of the matches with us. Shiori’s and Kiyoko’s definitely.”

“Well, meet us when it’s over and we can all celebrate together.”

Akira elbowed Kazuo before he could make the quip she knew he was planning to.

Masaru laughed and nodded. “Sure, see you later.”

“Now, you horrible person,” Akira said, turning to her brother. “Shall we find a seat?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deep breath before the plunge!


	34. Winning and Losing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Shiori

Shiori forced her expression into one of cool confidence as she followed Kiyoko to the participant’s area. Kiyoko bounded ahead, as energetic and vivacious as always. Even on the verge of something that Shiori knew made her best friend very nervous, Kiyoko exuded excitement. Shiori didn’t quite share Kiyoko’s excitement, but she definitely shared her nerves. Shiori resisted the urge to fiddle with the Kagemura pendant around her neck. It was the one Akira-sensei had brought back from the compound, the one her father had worn. Kazuo wanted Shiori to embrace what being a Kagemura meant, to use the secrecy and fear to her advantage. She still wasn’t sure if that’s what she wanted, especially not in the long run, but it was the best strategy she had to make it through this exam. 

It still made her nervous though; maybe even more so now than it had when Kazuo had first suggested it. Somehow, they’d all managed to keep what had happened at the compound secret, but Shiori suspected that key members of the audience today would know and be watching her very closely. Akira-sensei had assured her that the Hokage considered her a valued member of the Village, regardless of what her clan had done. But that wasn’t what their treaty said.

Most of the other genin competitors were waiting on a small balcony overlooking the arena and Shiori couldn’t resist a small smile when she noticed how they’d arranged themselves. The genin from Konoha were grouped near the railing and Naruto immediately waved Kiyoko and Shiori over to stand by him, Shikamaru, and Shino. Neji stood a few feet away from the others, but still close enough to be part of the group. 

“Kiyoko, Shiori,” Naruto said, as hyper as Kiyoko was. “Are you excited?”

“Of course,” Kiyoko said with a grin.

Shiori shrugged, standing in the space left between Neji and the others. Close to him, but not noticeably close, right? She glanced at Kiyoko and the glint in her friend’s green eyes told Shiori that she wasn’t being as subtle as she’d hoped. Shiori turned around and leaned against the balcony railing, her back to the growing crowd.

The Suna team also stood at the railing, though they had clearly separated themselves from the group of Konoha genin. Maki Izumi stood alone, as far as she could get from the others and still be in their designated area. 

“Where’s Sasuke?” Kiyoko asked.

Both he, and Kiyoko’s opponent - the shinobi from Otogakure, Dosu - were missing.

Naruto frowned and shrugged. “How should I know?”

“His fight’s third,” Shikamaru said. “He’d better hurry up and get here.”

The proctor for the third exam started speaking and Shiori turned to face the arena. She was a bit surprised to find that it wasn’t the chronically coughing man from the preliminary matches, but she didn’t have time to worry about it as the proctor called for the first combatants to come forward. 

“You can do this,” Kiyoko said encouragingly and Shiori forced herself to smirk confidently.

She caught Neji’s eye as she walked past him toward the stairs and he nodded almost imperceptibly. She’d told him what she was planning to do, confided how nervous it made her. His support had played a large role in convincing her to go ahead with it.

“Maki Izumi,” the proctor said as the genin reached the arena floor. “Kagemura Shiori. Begin!”

He moved out of the way faster than Shiori’s eyes could follow but she didn’t bother trying. All her attention was focused on the wiry woman in front of her. 

Shiori didn’t need the help of all of Akira-sensei’s training on how to read people to see that Izumi was furious. Rage seemed to radiate off the Kusa-nin, and Shiori didn’t blame her. Shiori wanted to make Izumi suffer for what she’d done to Masaru; she could only imagine the revenge Izumi wanted for her own teammate.

“I’m going to make you pay for what you did, bitch,” Izumi growled.

A dark chuckle escaped Shiori as she fell entirely into character. “Your teammate’s death was necessary,” she said, making her voice sound bored and forcing her body to appear at ease. This was the trickiest part, if Izumi attacked before Shiori could set things up, her entire plan would fall apart.

“Had he not died,” Shiori continued, watching Izumi’s rage increase. “I would still be as blind as you are.”

“Blind?” She hissed, spitting the word as Shiori. “I’m not blind.”

Shiori chuckled again, lowering her head enough that her long hair formed a curtain around her face. It was risky, taking her eyes off Izumi, but it would be worth it. “By comparison,” Shiori said, smirking. “You’re fumbling in the dark.”

She activated her yureigan as she raised her head and Izumi stepped back with a gasp. With a burst of chakra, Shiori caught her in a genjutsu and Izumi screamed, her trembling hands flying to her face.

“What have you done?” Izumi yelled.

Shiori forced herself to remain smiling despite the visions of death threatening to send her screaming from the arena. “You weren’t  _ really _ using them,” Shiori responded.

In her mind, Izumi could feel sticky trails of blood and something thicker running down her cheeks. Shiori had blinded her, though only in a genjutsu world. Hopefully she was too panicked to realize that.

“I’ll kill you,” she screamed, lashing out blindly.

Shiori chuckled and used the body flicker jutsu to get closer to her in an instant. “How?” She asked from right in front of Izumi.

Izumi lashed out again but Shiori was gone, suddenly behind her instead. She cast a paralysis jutsu and, in the genjutsu, Izumi felt something binding her in place. Shiori pushed down the part of her that felt bad about what she was doing. Terrorizing Izumi did have a purpose; and even though a dark part of Shiori was glad the person who had hurt Masaru so badly was suffering, she couldn’t deny that making a person believe their eyes had inexplicably oozed from their sockets was cruel. 

Izumi stood as still as she could, as if by moving she’d draw Shiori’s attention to her. A soft whimper escaped the Kusa-nin and the longer Shiori waited, the more pronounced Izumi’s trembling became.

Shiori stepped closer to Izumi, placed her hands on the Kusa-nin’s shoulders and spoke loudly enough that she knew the rest of the arena could hear.

“Like I said, your teammate’s death had a purpose.” Shiori looked out over the crowd, making sure they could see her black eyes. She was relieved to find that - at that distance - she couldn’t really tell what most of their deaths looked like. With her gaze flickering from one face to another so quickly, she didn’t really have time to identify anyone, regardless. 

“There is nothing you can do, that I cannot turn against you,” Shiori said, drawing on the legends surrounding the Kagemura clan. “So you have a choice,” she continued, bringing her eyes back to the Kusa-nin as she stepped closer. Izumi was just the right height that Shiori could hide most of her face behind her back, leaving only her eyes and forehead visible.

“Withdraw,” Shiori said, moving her gaze to the balcony where the other genin were waiting. She was very, very careful to look at the wall just above their heads. “Withdraw, or I will show you your greatest fears.”

It was a warning to the others, a threat, a promise. All of them, except Kiyoko, had seen Izumi fight before. They had seen what she was capable of and they just watched Shiori reduce her to a shivering, crying mess in a matter of minutes. 

Shiori stepped away from Izumi, casually returning to the center of the ring. She released the paralysis jutsu as she walked, not bothering to look back as Izumi fell to her knees, whimpering. 

“So,” Shiori said, still facing away from Izumi. “Feeling brave?”

Izumi let out a choked sob. “I withdraw,” she said in a trembling voice.

Shiori smirked and closed her eyes, deactivating her yureigan. “Good choice,’ she said, snapping her fingers and releasing the genjutsu as the proctor called the match in her favor.

Shiori turned her head slightly so she could watch Izumi out of the corner of her eyes; the Kusa-nin blinked, touching her cheeks just below her eyes as if she expected to find a mess of blood. “You,” she gasped, looking at Shiori with a mixture of horror and rage. “It was all fake?”

Shiori smirked and turned toward her. “You lost this match the moment you were set against me,” she said. “You can block a kunai, dodge ninjutsu, but the things I can do to your mind...” she laughed darkly. “There’s no defending against  _ me _ .” 

She turned and left the arena floor, forcing her smirk to stay in place even as her stomach was churning.

Shiori reached a fork in the hallway and, after quickly looking around, she turned and moved away from the hallway that led to the balcony. 

‘ _ Make an enemy think twice before attacking and that battle’s half won.’  _ Kazuo’s voice echoed in her memory.  _ ‘Use that second of hesitation to your advantage and you’ll win every time.’ _

Shiori had certainly won, and she’d barely had to lift a finger to do it. Kazuo, no doubt, would consider it a rousing success. Shiori wasn’t 100% sure, herself.

Yes, she’d won.

Yes, she’d won with minimal chakra expenditure; something that would definitely come in handy in the next round.

Yes, she’d won without showing much of what she was capable of, leaving her with a fair amount of tricks up her sleeve.

Yes, she’d won without summoning Yuko, or Yuuri, which had been her primary goal since she had a feeling she was going to need one, or both, of them later on and summoning them was quite a drain on her chakra. 

She had done remarkably well; everything had gone according to plan. So why didn’t she feel better?

She leaned back against the wall and shut her eyes. Her hand was clenched tight around the Kagemura pendant around her neck. Shiori knew that she should get back to the balcony, Neji and Naruto’s fight had to have begun by now. She was going to have to fight one of them, she needed to see what they were capable of. Even with that in mind, she couldn’t bring herself to move. Shiori really didn’t want to see the other genin. Would they look at her like she was the monster under the bed? Would they move away if she tried to stand next to them? Would they realize that a tiny part of her had liked the feeling of absolute control she’d had over Izumi? 

That was the part she was having the most trouble with. The part that told her that maybe all those nasty rumors about the Kagemura were a little more true than she’d thought. The part that seemed to scream from a dark little corner of her heart that she  _ was _ a Kagemura and no amount of denial, or pretending to be something else, would change that. 

Shiori frowned and resisted the urge to punch the wall. For all intents and purposes, she’d just declared to all of Konoha, and a number of important visitors, that not only was she a force to be reckoned with, but that the Kagemura weren’t as gone as they’d believed. For the first time in over a generation, people had seen the yureigan in action and it had all gone  _ exactly _ as she’d intended. 

Pushing away the thoughts and emotions fighting for attention in her mind, Shiori opened her eyes and made sure her expression was neutral before stepping back into the corridor that led to the balcony. She had more fights to come and she needed to watch the other matches if she was going to figure out how to beat her next opponent. Whatever she’d done so far, whatever consequence she was going to have to face with her friends, or even the Village at large, it all had to wait. At least she knew that Kiyoko and Masaru had her back, as well as Akira-sensei and, she supposed, Kazuo. She knew that Neji supported her as well, but she couldn’t help the small flutter of worry in her stomach at the thought of seeing him again. She’d told him her plan, but he had never seen her practice. What if he was horrified? Shiori didn’t love the idea of random shinobi and citizens being afraid of her, but she could handle it. She didn’t think she could handle Neji looking at her with fear in pale eyes. 

Shiori sensed someone behind her a moment before she felt a blow on the back of her head. She stumbled forward, a surprised cry dying on her lips as cool hands pulled her back toward a doorway she’d just passed. One of those hands covered her mouth and she heard a chuckle in her ear. “Try not to worry, I’m not the real danger here,” a musical voice said, pulling her into the room just as her vision started to darken.

Shiori grimaced as a cold slap to the face jerked her back into consciousness. The first thing she noticed was that she was bound to a chair in the middle of an otherwise sparsely decorated room. The second thing she noticed was that the ropes binding her felt like they were burning into her skin.

“What-” her voice cut off with a hiss as she tried to struggle and the burning sensation worsened.

“Now, now,” a gentle voice said from behind her. “If you keep that up, you’re going to hurt yourself and that’s not my intention for today.”

Shiori craned her neck, trying to see behind her but it was no use.

“Who are you?” She asked. “What do you want?” Shiori had anticipated the possibility of retaliation from Izumi, or even backlash from particularly unbalanced Konoha shinobi, but she hadn’t thought anything would happen in the middle of the matches.

“Don’t you recognize my voice?” The speaker said. “Has it really been so long?”

Shiori heard the sound of footsteps and watched as a slender woman with long raven hair came into view. “Hello cousin,’ she said, her red lips curling into a smirk. 

“Shizuka,” Shiori said, keeping her voice neutral. Akira-sensei had told Shiori about her run-in with Shizuka and though her sensei had glossed over the details of the encounter, it didn’t take much effort for Shiori to read between the lines. 

“Oh good,” Shizuka said, tucking a strand of hair behind Shiori’s ear. “I do so hate reintroductions.”

“Why are you here?” Shiori asked.

“To help, believe it or not,” she said, pulling over one of the chairs that was lining the walls and setting it in front of Shiori before sitting down. “You see, I really enjoyed your little show just now.” She leaned forward and hooked a finger around the Kagemura pendant around Shiori’s neck. 

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from you, after so long in Konoha, but you managed to impress me.” Shizuka let the pendant fall back against Shiori’s chest. “I shouldn’t be surprised,” she continued. “Your sensei impressed me too.” 

Shiori watched her passively. It didn't seem like Shizuka had changed much; she was still as dramatic as ever and Shiori knew that interrupting her would only make her angry.

“Anyway,” Shizuka continued. “I’ve decided that I like having you on the board. Makes the game much more interesting for me. Unfortunately, as it stands, you’re not likely to get past the opening moves so I’m going to tell you how to survive the next 24 hours.”

Shiori frowned as Shizuka’s words sunk in. “What’s going to happen in the next 24 hours?”

Shizuka shook her head and laughed. “You want me to ruin the surprise? I don’t think so,” she held up her hand as Shiori opened her mouth to respond. “Now, be a sweetheart and stop interrupting me or you’ll miss your next match.”

“My next match?” Shiori asked, she’d kind of accepted that she wasn’t going to be making it for her next fight; what with being abducted and all.

“Of course,” Shizuka said. “I think someone would notice if you just vanished entirely.”

“And what’s to stop me from telling someone about you?”

“Nothing. Tell whomever you like, it’s not going to change anything. Now, activate your yureigan.

Shiori gave her a flat look. “Why?”

“I want to see how far you’ve progressed,” Shizuka snapped.

“No.”

Shizuka glared at Shiori and she realized just what a bad idea antagonizing this woman could be. While Shizuka didn’t seem all that interested in hurting Shiori, that glare was all Shiori needed in order to know that she was going to play Shizuka’s game, one way or another.

“You are at a disadvantage, cousin,” Shizuka said, her lips twisting into a sneering snarl. “Your brother has had years to practice using the yureigan and he will try to kill you again. If you listen to me now, you might survive your next encounter.”

Shiori leaned back in her chair as much as the ropes allowed, trying to ignore the burning sensation.

“Who did he kill? Shiori asked, her eyes narrowing.

“What?” Shizuka seemed taken aback by her question.

“To activate his yureigan,” Shiori said. “Who did Shou kill?”

“Oh, Grandmother.”

“Grandmother?” Shiori repeated; her father’s mother had died before Shiori and Shou were born, so Shizuka must have meant their mother’s mother. But she had died when Shiori was six years old. She’d been sick for months, Shiori’s parents had told her she’d died in her sleep.

“Smothered her with a pillow,” Shizuka said, shaking her head. “I’m not sure why he did it, but he’s lucky I found him before anyone else did. Can you imagine? The head of our clan’s son and heir running around with black eyes and his dear, sweet granny dead,” Shizuka chuckled. “It would have been interesting to see, but I think it turned out better this way. Now, activate your yureigan or I’ll  _ actually _ rip your eyes out.”

Shiori did as she asked, grateful that she’d practiced enough that she didn’t need to use the hand-sign any more. As she heard that crystalline humming in the back of her mind that came whenever the doujutsu was active, Shiori turned her gaze away from Shizuka. She wasn’t Shizuka’s biggest fan, but she didn’t want to torture herself with images of her cousin’s corpse, either.

“Where’s all that confidence from earlier?” Shizuka asked with a laugh before grabbing Shiori’s chin and forcing her to look at Shizuka. “Tell me, what do you see?”

Shiori resisted the urge to close her eyes as she flickered through image after image of Shizuka’s corpse like some kind of sick photo album. “You’re dead,” Shiori said, her voice steady but hollow sounding.

“Dead, not dying?”

“Just dead.”

Shizuka shook her head - quite a feat considering that as far as Shiori could see, it was barely attached to her body - and released Shiori’s chin. “You haven’t been working very hard at all, have you?”

Shiori bit back her response.

“Focus your chakra,” Shiori said as her head reattached and her lips turned blue, like a woman drowned. “Make the yureigan focus on  _ one _ death.”

Shiori frowned but did as Shizuka asked. As she concentrated, she could hear the tone in the back of her mind intensify; a perfectly clear note that was somehow simultaneously lovely and terrifying. Shiori grimaced as Shizuka’s body became little more than a skeleton covered in crispy flesh and stayed that way.

“Eeew,” Shiori said. “That’s gross.”

Shizuka smiled and it took all of Shiori’s willpower not to look away; that image was going to haunt her nightmares for a long time.

“I assume that means you’ve managed it?” Shizuka asked.

Shiori nodded.

“Good, now expand your chakra, try to see the moment I die, figure out how it happened, when, who.”

“I’ve already got a good idea of how,” Shiori muttered but she did as she was told.

She jerked so hard she nearly fell out of her chair when shadows began to converge on Shizuka, flickering around her like flames. As Shiori watched, Shizuka’s body began to heal itself and eventually the shadow-flames converged into a fireball and shot away from her

“What are you seeing?”

“It’s like I’m watching everything in reverse,” Shiori said. “The shadows are showing me how you die, but they’re working backward; starting with your corpse.”

Shizuka frowned. “The shadows?”

“Yes,” Shiori said, deactivating her yureigan. “It’s like when I use that shadow sight jutsu and look at someone for too long, the shadows converge on them and show me,” she paused, trying to find the words for what she’d seen in the shadows before. “Something.”

Shizuka leaned back and Shiori couldn’t quite place the look on her face. It was as if she’d been surprised in a way that she didn’t even realize she could be. “Well, I  _ was _ right about you; you’re going to be a very interesting player.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Shizuka said. “Now, watch carefully,” she began making hand-signs. “This will allow you to transfer anything you see using the yureigan into the mind of someone else. It won’t be a genjutsu, they’ll still be able to move and retaliate. But they’ll see as you do.”

Shiori memorized the signs, hoping she got them all correct.

“Do you see the advantage in this?” Shizuka asked.

Shiori nodded. “If I were to transfer the image of someone’s comrades dying into their mind, they may become distracted enough to take down.”

Shizuka nodded with a small smile. “That is one application. I’ll leave you to find the others in time.”

“How is this going to help me survive the next 24 hours?” Shiori asked.

“You’ve just declared for everyone to see that you’re a Kagemura, dear cousin,” Shizuka said with a wicked smile. “If you can’t live up to what that means, you won’t be living at all.”

She stood and placed her hands on either arm of Shiori’s chair, their faces a breath apart. “Show them death, show them fear, and if you survive, we’ll see each other again.”

Shizuka kissed Shiori on the cheek and sliced through the ropes binding her before vanishing into a swirl of shadows.

Shiori rubbed her arms and looked down, there weren’t any marks but she could still feel the acid-like stinging. She stood, kicking over the chair for good measure before heading for the door. A wave of weariness washed over her and she sent a burst of chakra pulsing through her body; the last thing she needed was to pass out. She was almost back to the balcony where the other genin waited when she spotted a figure slumped against the wall. In was one of the guards that had been assigned to keep gawkers away from the competitors. Shiori felt a jolt of unease, he seemed to be asleep but uninjured. 

“This has to be a genjutsu,” Shiori said, remembering the wave of weariness from earlier. “I have to get to Kiyoko.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Shiori had to make a hard choice this chapter. I think she did well to use her ability, what do you all think? If you're fans of the show you know we've started the "... Crush" which I won't say more about just in case it's a spoiler. But hold on tight my friends!


	35. This Gets Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a full switching POV chapter, with Kiyoko, Akira, Masaru and then Shiori

**Kiyoko**

Kiyoko had cheered wildly when Shiori won her fight. She knew that some of the Konoha shinobi were a little creeped out but oh well. Shino creeped her out and she was still going to cheer for him. This wasn’t about who had uncreepy skills, it was about who had skills. And it was clear that Shiori had skills. 

When Shiori didn’t come up to watch the other matches she frowned, however. She wanted to go check, but knowing Shiori she guessed her friend wanted a little alone time. So she kept her eyes glued to the matches, catching every detail to tell Shiori later. 

Of course, Neji’s fight was of great interest, knowing that Shiori liked the stuck up Neji. Kiyoko couldn’t believe it when Naruto won but she cheered for him happily. 

When they pushed back Sasuke’s fight Kiyoko felt her insides clench. That meant her fight was closer. If Dosu even showed up. She wondered if Dosu didn’t show up if she’d have to fight Gaara. Without a doubt, she’d cancel her match. She hated to give up without a fight, but there was no fighting something inhuman. And what she’d heard about Gaara made him fall firmly into the inhuman category. 

She watched the other matches with interest and thanks to Sasuke finally showing up she was up next for her match. She headed down to wait for her turn. 

The amazing thing about her sword work was learning chakra-flow technique. She carefully had to slide her wind-release chakra along the blade, extending its reach and making it even more deadly. She’d learned more about vital points and weak points on the body in the last three weeks than she had during her entire school years. 

With the sword on her back it felt like she had two generations of shinobi with her, helping guide her hand however, she wouldn’t let them down. 

  
  


Kiyoko’s head jerked up, she couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep. She jumped to her feet and frowned at Shiori. 

“What happened?” She asked, looking around.

“It’s a genjutsu. There’s an attack. We need to find Akira-sensei.” Shiori said with a frown. 

“She was up on the next level around to the other side.” Kiyoko said. 

Shiori nodded and they started to run. 

The sounds of battle started to fill the air and Kiyoko felt her heart go cold. How could the village be under attack? What would happen? Nearly all the elite shinobi were here at the stadium. What about everyone else in the village though? Her sister and her parents? Somewhere in the stadium were her parents. They might have resisted the genjutsu and they’d be fighting now or they could be safely asleep. And poor Ayane had cheered her on but couldn’t come watch her sister fight, the violence turned her stomach. Would they all be okay? Surely the Hokage was going to save everyone she hoped. 

Shiori grabbed Kiyoko’s hand and they started running. The sleeping people didn’t seem to be in danger yet. The few people resisting the genjutsu from Kohona were fighting the bad guys. She looked closer and gasped when she saw it was the Sand village. 

Shiori pulled her along in the shadows, trying to keep out of sight of anyone dangerous. 

Kiyoko shivered as they stepped back against a wall and she swore she could feel the shadows reaching around her, pulling her deeper against the wall. Was this more of Shiori’s jutsu?

A Sand-nin ran past them, looking for enemies but he didn’t pause to look in the shadows. 

“Let’s go!” Shiori whispered and tugged Kiyoko’s hand. 

They hurried around a corner and saw Iruka-sensei hurrying toward them. He had blood splattered across his vest, but it didn’t seem to be his. 

“You girls are awake. Good. We need to get moving.” He ushered them back in the direction they’d come.

“Sensei, we need to find Akira-sensei first.” Kiyoko frowned. 

Iruka-sensei gave them both looks. “I know you would like to. But you know what happens during an attack, right?” 

Kiyoko felt herself going back to her school days. Of course she did. She knew the plan as well as she knew the back of her hand. 

“Anyone not currently fighting helps in the evacuation of civilians, then they report to their superior and prepare to launch a counter attack.” Shiori said in unison with Kiyoko.

Kiyoko frowned. She didn’t like being taken away from here, from where she knew Akira-sensei and Masaru must be fighting. 

Iruka-sensei nodded. “Come on. We’ll need everyone’s help.” He said, leading the way. 

Shiori let go of Kiyoko’s wrist and they followed him. 

“The Kagemura are part of the attack.” Shiori said as she ran with them. 

Kiyoko and Iruka-sensei looked at her in concern. 

“Good thing you’re with us.” Iruka-sensei nodded.

While they’d paused, two Sand-nin jumped forward, attacking them. Iruka-sensei had his kunai drawn and started fighting them. 

The remaining man turned on Shiori and Kiyoko with a sick grin on his face. Shiori threw her kunai, not giving another moment’s pause. He dodged the first one, but the second hit his shoulder and he jumped forward, slashing at Shiori. She only barely managed to get away from his arms-reach. 

Kiyoko drew her sword without hesitation. The enemy had turned his back on her, and that was his mistake. She swung her sword, envisioning not a living being before her, but another straw man she could simply hack up. Using her chakra flow along the blade she thrust her blade up through his ribs. The wind energy made the blade slide like butter through his body and extended the area of damage, bone splitting like candy brittle. Kiyoko ripped the sword out of him and her illusion of a straw man came to an end when blood sprayed from the wound, covering her. 

The man fell to the ground dead but Kiyoko’s ears rang and she didn’t even hear him hit the earth. 

Shiori looked at her, eyes wide in surprise. Shiori’s lips started to move, but Kiyoko couldn’t hear a word she said. Though she could read lips, nothing made sense. 

She looked down at the man lying dead at her feet. There should be something… some emotion. But even the dread she had felt before had vanished, leaving her empty. 

Iruka-sensei put a hand on her face and tipped her head up. She looked him in the eye and blinked slowly at her. 

“Kiyoko.” 

All the sounds in the world came back in a rush and Kiyoko flinched. 

“Kiyoko!” He said more urgently. “We need you to stay with us.” He said firmly. 

Kiyoko started to tremble. 

“Ayane might be out here!” Shiori said, coming up and putting a hand on Kiyoko’s shoulder. 

Kiyoko looked between them and nodded. “Right. Let’s go.” She said. She still felt numb inside. Something was wrong and it might not ever be right again. But she didn’t have time for that now. Not when her friends and sister needed to be saved.

Her sister. Ayane’s sweet face filled her mind and she started to run. Iruka-sensei and Shiori tried to keep up with her. 

* * *

**Akira**

Akira swore as genjutsu filled the arena and all around her people began to fall into a deep sleep. 

“This is new,” Kazuo said, looking around with a frown.

“Good thing we prepared for an attack,” Akira muttered as enemy shinobi poured in from every side of the arena.

“Iruka,” Kazuo said, looking past Akira to the chunin sitting at her side. “We’ll make an opening for you to get out of here and start evacuating villagers.”

Iruka nodded and Akira felt a momentary rush of gratitude toward her brother. It wasn’t that Iruka was incapable, not by any means, but someone had to mobilize the rest of the Village as soon as possible.

“Well,” Akira said as enemies rushed toward them. “Time to see how good you really are, brother.”

“Try to keep up,” he said, making hand-signs and shooting a ball of fire at the approaching shinobi. 

Akira twisted her body out of the way of a flying kunai and spun in time to block another kunai with her sword. She and Kazuo easily carved Iruka a path and he raced away. It was tempting to keep him close, but Akira had faith in him. Sounds of battle echoed around the arena and Akira kept her eyes open for any sign of her students. Masaru had been watching the matches with his mother, so she wasn’t particularly concerned about him. But she hadn’t seen Shiori since she walked off the field after her match, and there was no sign of Kiyoko on the balcony where the competing genin had been standing. 

Akira jumped out of the way of a jet of fire and sent a fireball of her own back before kicking out at another enemy. “There’s a lot of them,” she muttered, jumping back so she was closer to Kazuo. 

“Wouldn’t be much of an invasion, otherwise,” Kazuo said, throwing a handful of shuriken. “Let’s get more room to move,” he said.

Akira nodded and the two started heading toward the arena floor.

It had been some time since Akira fought by her brother’s side, but the two fell into an easy rhythm, moving seamlessly as they defended each other and eliminated their enemies. Akira shot a stream of fire toward a cluster of shinobi from Otogakure and a swift wind-release jutsu from Kazuo blew the flame into an inferno that devoured their targets.

“Damn,” Kazuo said, glancing toward the roof of the arena where a purple barrier flashed into existence. 

“Focus down here,” Akira said, blocking a kunai that had been heading for his back. “We can’t do anything about that.”

“The Hokage is up there.”

“And you’re down here, focus.”

“Gee, thanks, sensei,” Kazuo said, pulling her to the side slightly to avoid a barrage of shuriken.

All around them, Konoha shinobi were locked in battle with enemies from Oto and Suna. Akira barely registered the Oto headband on the man in front of her before she cut him down and moved on to her next opponent. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a shuriken toward a woman from Suna. Akira’s eyes widened in surprise as the woman turned, deflecting the shuriken.

“Kaori?” Akira said, recognizing the woman she’d met in the Land of Rivers.

“Akira,” Kaori said, her voice solemn. “This isn’t how I wanted to meet again.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“When your Kage gives you an order, do you question why?” Kaori asked, readying her kunai.

Akira arched an eyebrow, her grip on her sword tightening. “Frequently.” 

Kaori frowned and raced toward her, throwing the kunai as a distraction before making hand-signs. Akira ducked under the kunai and swept her sword in a wide arc, using her chakra to extend the reach of the blade. Kaori winced as the chakra bit into her side and she barely moved back in time to avoid a fatal wound. 

Akira watched Kaori closely and they circled each other. “You don’t have to do this,” Akira said as blood dripped from Kaori’s side. “Surrender, help us, and live.”

Kaori smiled, a cruel glint in her eye. “You actually think you’re going to win?” She asked. “Even if, by some miracle, you do win the day, others will come. Konoha has grown weak and complacent. What other Village would have allowed so many enemies to hide in plain sight?” This,” she motioned to the carnage around them. “This is the world of the shinobi. There is no room in our world for sentiment or mercy.” 

She rushed toward Akira, anger in her eyes. Akira sighed, feeling suddenly weary in a way she hadn’t felt for many years. She watched Kaori come at her and wondered what all of this was actually accomplishing. Akira moved to the side a moment before Kaori’s attack could reach her, spinning out of the way and bringing the sword around. She felt the blade slice into the Suna kunoichi, heard the grunt of pain and surprise.

“It didn’t have to end like this,” Akira said, pulling her sword free. “This doesn’t have to be our world.”

Kaori didn’t reply, and Akira was moving again, finding her next opponent with ease. Akira had never had a taste for battle on this scale, but she’d always had a talent for it.

* * *

**Masaru **

“What?” Masaru jerked awake. “What happened?” He’d just been watching Sasuke and Gaara’s match; he may not be particularly fond of either of them, but it certainly hadn’t been boring enough to put him to sleep.

“Come on,” Emi said, pulling him past dozens of sleeping people.

“Emi!” He grimaced as her grip stung one of the few still-healing cuts on his arm.

“We’re under attack, Masaru,” Emi said. “Someone’s cast a genjutsu over the stadium, we need to get to mom and see how we can help.”

Masaru felt his stomach drop and he swiveled his head frantically, looking for any sign of Kiyoko and Shiori. “I have to find my team,” he said.

“No,” Emi’s voice was harsher than Masaru had ever heard it. “We are going to mom and we are going to follow her orders. Running around like panicked kids isn’t going to help anything.” She glanced over her shoulder as she pulled him along and her expression softened slightly. “Look, Kiyoko and Shiori are probably together right now, kicking ass. They’ll be okay.”

Masaru nodded, he didn’t like the idea of leaving them to fend for themselves, but of the three of them, he was the only one who didn’t make it to the final exam so he was probably in more trouble than they were.

He and Emi skidded to a stop as the wall ahead of them crumbled and a Sunagakure shinobi came flying into the hallway. He landed with a thud and a quick kunai from Emi finished him off.

They both sighed in relief as their mother stepped over the rubble, leading a small team of medical-ninja.

“Emi, Masaru?” She said, waving dust away from her face.

“We’re here,” Emi said. “What can we do?”

“What’s it like in the stadium?”

“Most of the spectators have fallen under a genjutsu, the shinobi that managed to resist are under attack by forces from Sunagakure and Otogakure,” Emi reported.

“And the Hokage?” One of the medics standing behind their mother asked.

“I don’t know,” Emi answered. “But he was sitting with the Kazekage. Considering that shinobi from Sunagakure are among our enemies, we can assume he’s in battle.”

“As we were leaving, I saw a barrier go up on the stadium roof, near where the Hokage had been sitting,” Masaru said.

“Damn,” the medic cursed. “We need to get out there and help.”

“Wait,” Moriko said, her tone stern but calm. Masaru had never seen his mother in full-command mode before; he was impressed. “Use your head, this isn’t the only place they’ll be attacking.” She pointed to a small woman, hanging near the back of the group. “Asuka, you take half the squad and head to the hospital. Regroup with everyone on duty and explain the situation. Ryo,” she turned to the medic who’d just been speaking. “Take the other half and assess the situation in the rest of the Village, go where you’re needed.”

“What about you, Moriko-san?” Ryo asked, frowning.

“Emi, Masaru, and I can handle things here,” Moriko said. “Now go!”

Masaru followed his mother and Emi back to the arena and nearly stumbled when he saw how much it had changed in such a short time. Bodies littered the ground, shinobi from Konoha, Suna, and Oto left where they’d fallen as their allies struggled to survive. He spotted Akira-sensei immediately, her black coat flaring out dramatically as she spun to avoid an attack from a familiar-looking Suna kunoichi. Near her, Kazuo stood back-to-back with the proctor of the exam, trading sarcastic comments as they fought a group of shinobi from Otogakure. 

“Masaru,” Morkio said, grabbing his shoulder. “I need you to run triage for us, can you do that?”

Masaru nodded; he wasn’t a medic-nin, but you don’t grow up in a house with Moriko and Emi and not know how to support medic-nin in battle.

“Be careful,” she said, her dark eyes - so like his own - filled with motherly fear and affection for a moment before she returned to commander-mode.

“You too,” Masaru said, forcing a small smile.

She grinned at him, swatting the back of his head softly before the three of them hurried into the arena.

Masaru kept his eyes scanning as he moved, watching both for attacks and for those wounded that could still be saved. Emi and Moriko followed slightly behind him and he knew, without looking back, that his mother was pausing from time to time to finish off any enemy she saw was still moving. Moriko was a practical woman; many medic-nin were drawn to the field out of a desire to help their comrades, and in that respect, Moriko was no different. But she also had no problem making sure a weakened enemy never got the chance to get back up. That practicality was a trait she had passed on to her son and when Masaru saw a wounded shinobi from Otogakure reaching toward him, he didn’t hesitate as he knelt and plunged a kunai into the man’s neck. In the back of his mind, Masaru registered his first kill, felt an almost electric shock at the idea that he’d just murdered a wounded enemy. But his conscious mind was hardly aware of any of it as he moved on, pointing to the side when he spotted a wounded ally that Emi could heal. 

* * *

**Shiori**

The streets were chaotic; Shiori stuck close to Kiyoko and Iruka-sensei, afraid to let them out of her sight. She knew that one of her clan could find them at any moment and if they weren't careful, they'd be trapped before they even realized they were in danger. The idea of Kiyoko or Iruka-sensei, or any of her friends and comrades, being stuck in a Kagemura genjutsu made Shiori's pulse race. Some people were running in the streets, trying to head away from the danger but more people than Shiori had expected were huddling in stores or their homes, seemingly hoping that the danger would pass them by. 

Shiori, Kiyoko, and Iruka-sensei roused them into action, directing them to the caves behind the stone Hokage faces. Shiori couldn't help appreciating the significance of the evacuation route - even after the Hokage were gone, they would continue to shield their people. Shiori really hoped she’d get to remain one of those people after this. 

Shiori ducked under a kunai; the enemy was all around them, wreaking havoc through the Village. She threw her own kunai in response, catching her assailant in the shoulder. Before she could think about it, she threw two more, this time striking the enemy in the chest. She didn't check to see if he was dead, if he wasn't already, he soon would be and she had to keep going.

Next to her, Kiyoko was using the sword Akira-sensei had given her to defend against another attacker. Kiyoko ducked under a blow and Iruka-sensei appeared behind the enemy and stabbed him

Kiyoko stumbled back, a little breathless, and Shiori put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

Somehow, Kiyoko managed to smile at Shiori, in spite of what was happening around them. Shiori felt a surge of protectiveness for her friend, no matter what, she was going to make sure Kiyoko came out of this okay.

They reached the edge of the Village as giant serpents appeared on the other side of the wall. They crashed through it, their massive bodies turning the solid stone to rubble. Shiori felt her stomach drop as the snakes hissed and slithered forward; if the wall couldn't withstand them, the buildings in Konoha didn't stand a chance. 

Kiyoko grabbed Shiori's hand and Shiori looked toward her. Kiyoko's green eyes were wide and full of shock and fear. Shiori squeezed her hand.

"Everyone! Prepare for more incoming enemies," Iruka-sensei yelled, standing on top of a nearby roof. "Keep evacuating people." Several shinobi had gathered in the area to assist with the evacuation.

"Can you use Yuuri?" Kiyoko asked as she and Shiori ran from house to house to make sure that everyone was out. 

"You mean to jump around?" Shiori asked, dodging a falling roof tile.

"Yeah, you could cover more distance and lead people to the caves faster."

"Maybe," Shiori said. "But do you really think people would follow a giant spider, instead of running from it?"

Kiyoko didn't get a chance to respond as two shinobi raced toward them and they had to deflect a barrage of kunai aimed at retreating civilians. Shiori's blood froze as they got closer, laughing as they went. Their eyes were black as night.

"Well, if it isn't the little princess," one of them sneered. 

"Kiyoko," Shiori said, trying to find that place of calm indifference Kazuo had been working with her on. "Go, get Ayane to safety, I'll handle this."

"I'm not going to leave you," Kiyoko said.

"Just go," Shiori yelled. She hoped her raised voice would be enough to startle Kiyoko into action; Shiori never yelled. 

Kiyoko nodded, “I’ll be right back!” She promised and took off.

Shiori focused herself on the battle before her. 


	36. Silver Claws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter POV this time is Akira and Masaru.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We do want to warn people there is a trigger warning for minor character death this time! Don't want to give spoilers but we didn't want to blindside people with that during these times.  
I'll put a summary of the chapter at the end if anyone is worried about reading it.

**Mararu**

A dark flicker in the corner of his eye caught Masaru’s attention; a tall woman dressed in a white kimono appeared with a squad of shinobi that each wore the stylized eye of the Kagemura clan emblazoned on their grey jackets.

“You’re late,” a man in an ANBU mask said, joining the woman in white.

“You started early,” she responded, glancing over the arena with a look of interest. “I still had a few things to take care of.” 

Her eyes fell on Masaru and he tensed; they were the same steely grey as Shiori’s but the look in them made him nervous. It was the look a cat gave a bird it was about to devour.

“Let’s get to work then, shall we?” 

At her words, the other Kagemura scattered, moving to engage the Konoha forces, but she just waited, her focus on Masaru.

“Hey,” a familiar voice grabbed Masaru’s attention as Kazuo stepped forward, his brown hair even messier than usual. “You don’t mind if I take this one, do you?” He asked, a smirk on his face.

“Go for it,” Masaru said, taking a step back; he needed to get back to helping his mother and sister.

The Kagemura woman smiled, her crimson lips pulling back to reveal perfect teeth. “And you are?”

“Hayashi Kazuo, you?” Kazuo said and the woman’s smile became downright scary.

“Kagemura Shizuka,” she responded with a slight bow. “Hayashi, you said, any relation to our lovely friend over there?” She asked, nodding toward where Akria-sensei just cut down a shinobi from Otogakure.

“She’s my sister,” Kazuo answered.

“Wonderful,” Shizuka said, shaking back the sleeves of her kimono to reveal silver rings on the tip of each finger that extended past her natural fingernails to curve into wicked looking claws.

Kazuo arched an eyebrow and Masaru nearly laughed at how similar he looked to Akira-sensei. 

“Get back to work,” Kazuo said to him before he rushed toward Shizuka. 

She slashed out, tearing the fabric of Kazuo’s shirt but - as far as Masaru could see - not drawing blood.

Masaru turned, ready to head toward where his sister was healing a woman Masaru vaguely recognized as one of the monitors from the first exam. He jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding a kunai. On instinct, he threw a handful of shuriken, barely registering that they’d hit his target before moving on. He rejoined Emi as she finished her healing and they moved on together, Masaru constantly on the lookout for someone else Emi could help. He was suddenly grateful for all the hours he’d spent with Emi or his mother, training to keep his mind focused on one task and one task only. At the time, it had seemed ridiculous. When would he ever have to worry about putting together a puzzle while someone yelled distractions at him? No one would ever test him to see if he could only pick out red pebbles from a multi-colored assortment. And certainly no one would ever see if he could manage it while balancing on one foot and dodging water balloons. 

Now, however, he understood. As the screech of metal-on-metal filled the air, accompanied by the groans of the injured and dying, Masaru found that it didn’t distract him. The sounds warned him of approaching danger, the groans directed him where to look for people to help, but they didn’t _ really _matter. He was so focused on finding people he and his family could still save that he didn’t even recognize the faces of the fallen, he only saw red, only saw the wounds.

He knelt down, checking on one person even as he ended the life of the Oto shinobi next to him. 

“Emi!” He called and in an instant she was at his side.

There was a slash of red on her arm and he frowned. “You’re injured.”

“Barely,” Emi responded, her attention focused on her patient. “It’s not worth the chakra, right now.”

Masaru didn’t like it, but he nodded.

A flash of metal in the corner of his eye is all the warning he got before a kunai flew past him and embedded itself in Emi’s shoulder. She cried out, her hand immediately going to the wound.

Masaru turned and deflected another kunai as the attacker ran toward them. Masaru frowned, the man from Sunagakure had long, dark green hair, and looked very familiar.

* * *

**Akira**

Akira cursed as she caught sight of Kazuo locked in battle with Kagemura Shizuka. Akira hadn’t realized the Kagemura were on the field but now that she did, she spotted more of them than she liked. And not the one she actually wanted to see. With the rest of her clan joining Oto and Suna against Konoha, Shiori could be facing danger from all sides if her comrades from Konoha didn’t recognize her as one of their own. Akira ran toward Kazuo, fear growing in her stomach for both her brother and her student.

She jumped into the air as a sword cut low, trying to take her legs out from under her. With a quick kick, her foot connected with her attacker's head and she used the momentum to spin in midair, bringing her own sword around for an attack. Her enemy was ready, however, and blocked her sword with his. She pushed down as she fell back to the earth, bringing her full weight to bear. Sadly, her full weight wasn’t even enough to stagger the man she was facing and she stumbled back, receiving a scratch on her stomach for her trouble. Akira glared at him, her sword held at the ready as blood began to trickle from the cut.

She stepped forward, sweeping her blade up and, as expected, the man moved to block it. Akira couldn’t repress a smirk as she turned the blade and her body, exposing her back to him for just a moment. It was a reckless move. That instant would have been more than enough for Akira to take advantage of her enemy and slam her sword into their spine. However, her opponent wasn’t as quick as she was, or perhaps he was just surprised that she’d do something so stupid. Either way, he missed his chance and before he could react, Akira’s sword pierced his neck.

The rush of endorphins that accompanied her victory was quickly quashed as Akira heard Kazuo scream. She turned toward the sound, her heart racing, and found her brother writhing on the ground; she caught glimpses of ragged gashes over his shoulder, bleeding through his shirt. Shizuka stood over him, her silver claws covered in Kazuo’s blood, and she smirked, looking Akira straight in the eye. 

Akira froze; for a moment she understood how a deer must feel when it realized that a wolf had found it. Shizuka’s eyes, bled to black, seemed to draw Akira in until all she was aware of was darkness and the agonized screams of her brother. Fear the likes of which Akira hadn’t experienced in years sped her pulse until she was choking on the thudding horror. She couldn’t go through this again.

“Come on!” A voice next to her dragged Akira out of her inner agony and she glanced to the side to see Masaru’s mother already running toward Kazuo. 

The medic-nin moved with the confidence of a woman who had survived hundreds of battles, weaving between the fighting and the fallen with ease. Akira followed on instinct; her training demanded that she defend the medic at all costs, ignoring everything else. Moriko was the only thing standing between Kazuo and death; so Akira had to stand between Moriko and everything else.

* * *

**Masaru**

Masaru glanced back at his sister, thankful to see that she’d pulled the kunai out of her shoulder and was healing the wound.

“You were in the Land of Rivers; Yuuto, right?” Masaru said to the Suna-nin, his eyes narrowed.

The man nodded.

“Why are you doing this?” Masaru asked, his anger rising. “We saved your life!”

“That’s how it goes,” Yuuto said. “Sometimes, friends one day are enemies the next. Don’t trust anybody, kid. When it comes down to it, everyone puts their own life first.”

“Only if they’re cowards,” Masaru said, making hand signs and slamming his hands onto the ground.

The earth began to tremble and Yuuto’s eyes widened; he jumped away, clearly expecting the ground to crack open as it had in the Land of Rivers. Masaru smirked, he’d hoped that would be Yuuto’s reaction.

With a quick motion, Masaru threw three kunai toward Yuuto and the Suna-nin couldn’t avoid the attack in time. The kunai struck him in the abdomen and Masaru moved forward, another kunai gripped in his hand. 

As he approached, Yuuto began to melt into a muddy pile and Masaru cursed, recognizing the earth clone. He turned in time to block a kick from the real Yuuto that sent him skidding back across the dirt of the arena.

Yuuto began making hand-signs and Masaru rushed forward, not interested in giving him the chance to complete his jutsu.

Masaru threw a kunai but before it could connect, Yuuto was gone, moving faster than Masaru’s eyes could follow. Some instinct born of dealing with hundreds of Kiyoko’s surprise attacks during training forced Masaru to crouch down, avoiding the swipe of a kunai just as Yuuto reappeared behind him. Masaru turned, kicking one foot up and catching Yuuto in the stomach, forcing the Suna-nin to double over. Mimicking one of Akira-sensei’s evasion moves, Masaru twisted his body away from Yuuto, using the momentum of his attack to propel him backward.

Before his opponent could recover, Masaru darted forward; a viciousness he’d never experienced before surfaced in his mind. Masaru wanted Yuuto dead. He wanted to make sure that Yuuto could never hurt Emi again; that Yuuto paid the ultimate price for betraying Konoha. For making Masaru realize how fragile the line between ally and enemy really was. All the fear Masaru had felt since the genjutsu fell over the arena had been coalescing into a smoldering ember and as he rushed toward the shinobi he’d once worked so hard to save, that ember burst into a raging flame.

It was over in an instant. Before Yuuto had a chance to recover from having the wind knocked from his lungs, Masaru embedded a kunai in his throat. The Suna-nin looked surprised, meeting Masaru’s furious gaze with a look of disbelief. In the back of his mind, Masaru wondered what Yuuto would say, if he could speak past Masaru’s blade in his throat.

Masaru turned back to Emi, not surprised to see that she had moved on from her mostly healed wound and returned her focus to her injured comrade in front of her. She glanced toward him, nodding when she saw that he was unharmed. The look on her face told Masaru everything he needed to know. _ I’m glad you’re safe, I’m fine. Get back to work, we aren’t done here yet. _

* * *

**Akira**

“I’m so glad we’re getting this chance to really see what we’re both capable of,” Shizuka said as Akira reached her. The ebony-haired Kagemura examined the rings on her fingertips, watching as a fine line of blood slid down one finger. “If your medic’s good enough, your brother might even survive the price he’s paying for your tardiness.”

“You know how it goes,” Akira said, forcing her voice into calm nonchalance as she tried to divide her attention between Shizuka and Moriko as the medic knelt next to Kazuo. “I was just having too much fun annihilating your allies that I lost track of the time. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Shizuka grinned, an excited giggle bubbling between her lips. “Let’s not play games, this time,” she said. “No genjutsu,” the darkness in her eyes retreated, revealing her pale grey irises. “No kekkei genkai, Just you and me in a fair fight.”

The way she said ‘fair’ made Akira bite back a grimace.

“Why so interested in me?” Akira asked.

Shizuka arched an eyebrow. “Why, to see if you’re worthy, of course.”

“Worthy? Of what?”

Shizuka’s grin widened but the only answer she offered was a few quick hand-signs, followed by a shower of needle-like rain.

Akira moved quickly, creating a rush of flame to intercept and evaporate the rain. Her options were limited in this fight. They were too close to Moriko and Kazuo for Akira to risk dodging an attack and, if Akira wasn’t careful, losing this battle might mean losing her brother. Her grip on her sword tightened as she ran forward, slashing at Shizuka.

The grating sound of Shizuka’s metal claws grinding against Akira’s sword made Akira grimace, even as she shifted the sword to take advantage of Shizuka’s close proximity. Akira turned the blade, forcing Shizuka’s claws to slide ineffectively away. The blade cut into Shizuka’s palm but instead of pulling away, or trying to protect herself, the Kagemura gripped the blade of the sword tightly and lunged forward with her free hand, intent on catching Akira with her poison-tipped talons.

Akira moved at the last second, her body twisting in an almost serpentine way to avoid Shizuka’s attack. Shizuka’s claws caught in the thick fabric of Akira’s jacket and Akira used the moment to her advantage. She took one hand off her sword and with a quick flick of her wrist, brought the small kunai she had hidden up her sleeve into her hand.

Shizuka’s eyes widened and she struggled to free herself from the jacket; her grip on the sword blade the only thing stopping Akira from severing her head from her body. As Akira heard the fabric of her jacket rip, she brought the kunai down, slashing at Shizuka’s face. Shizuka jerked back, the blade of Akira’s sword slicing deeper into her hand at the sudden movement. The movement was enough to save Shizuka’s life, but not her right eye. Akira’s kunai gouged a long line down Shizuka’s face, slicing from forehead to chin and ruining the Kagemura’s eye.

Shizuka screamed, stumbling back and holding an already bloody hand to her face. 

“You _ dare _?!” She shrieked, any trace of the arrogantly collected woman from before was gone. “Do you realize what you’ve done?!”

Akira couldn’t help smirking as she watched the Kagemura’s fury. “That’s the problem with doujutsu,” she said, conversationally. “Doesn’t really work without the eye.”

Shizuka glared at her, her lips drawn back into a snarl. “You think this is funny?” She hissed, her remaining eye bleeding to black. “You shouldn’t. I only need one eye to take _ everything _ from you.”

She moved with a speed that Akira hadn’t expected, drawing one of the pins from her hair and throwing it. The needle-like pin flew toward, and then past, Akira. She could feel the change in the air as it zipped by and for a moment she was confused. Until she heard Masaru scream. 

* * *

**Masaru**

When he was younger - just after his father’s death - Masaru would wake-up screaming every night, his body covered in cold sweat and images of his mother’s and sister’s deaths haunting his mind. Hundreds of nightmares, hundreds of nauseating, tear-jerking, breath-stopping visions. None of them managed to capture that look of surprise on his mother’s face as the needle-like hairpin pierced her neck. None of them prepared him for how time seemed to slow as he watched her slump forward, her body suddenly limp.

He was dashing forward before his mind could process what he’d seen. Everything in his world had narrowed down to that small point, that glittering shard of metal. She could still be alive. Something that small couldn’t possibly kill Fujita Moriko. He stumbled, realizing only after he’d run on, that he’d been running over the corpses of the fallen. 

He fell to his knees, skidding slightly on the blood soaked ground as he made it to Moriko. His hands trembled as he reached for her, hesitating. If she was still alive, moving her could be disastrous. He put an ear to her back, listening for breath, praying to feel even the shallowest rise-and-fall of her chest. There was movement and Masaru felt a flicker of hope before she realized that she was slumped over on top of Kazuo; that Kazuo’s breathing could be moving her as well.

Masaru looked down at his trembling hands; how many times had Emi tried to teach him to take a pulse? He was horrible at it on the best of days and this was _ not _ the best of days. Steeling himself, he gently grabbed his mother’s shoulders, pulling her away from Kazuo as carefully as he could. As soon as he saw her face, he knew. Masaru was no stranger to the dead and Moriko had joined them. 

* * *

**Akira**

Akira cursed; what happened to her? She’d never been this distracted in a battle before. One cry from her student and she forgot all common sense and turned her back on an enemy? An enemy like Kagemura Shizuka, no less! Akira was turning back toward Shizuka even as she berated herself, raising her sword to defend against the blow she could only imagine was already falling.

The sound of ripping fabric hit her before the pain. A small mercy, because when the pain hit, it was intense. Shizuka’s silver claws raked down Akira’s back, tearing both cloth and flesh. Akira bit back a cry, stumbling forward in an attempt to get out of range of a second attack; but no second attack came. A fresh wave of agony spread across Akira’s back, radiating out from the wounds and this time, she couldn’t stop the scream. It was unbearable; a coursing torment that followed the path of her blood through her body. The first jerking spasms brought her legs out from under her, her knees hitting the dirt with an impact that might have hurt if every muscle in her body weren’t dancing like an electrified snake. 

Akira squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on her inner reserves of chakra and quickly pushing the energy toward her muscles and her mind, offering her a brief respite. One doesn’t study poison as often as Akira without having some idea of how to handle it. She forced herself to remain conscious, making hand-signs that were second nature to her by now. As her vision started to blur, she slammed a hand onto the ground.

Before the smoke of her jutsu cleared, she was rolling up the left sleeve of her jacket, revealing a scorpion tattoo on her inner forearm. Normally, the tattoo was so faint it was barely visible, unless someone knew to look for it. Now it was a vibrant red, with a black center that was spreading steadily outward. Once the black filled the tattoo, there would be nothing Akira could do.

“Akira-san!” Kai’s calmingly deep voice was filled with equal parts concern and admonition. “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

Akira couldn’t speak past her rapidly restricting airway; the only answer she could offer was thrusting her arm toward the scorpion, showing him the tattoo. 

“Oh,” Kai said, scuttling forward as Akira struggled to hold her arm steady and not collapse fully to the ground. Seeming to sense her precarious position, Kai moved quickly, dropping his usual niceties and jamming his stinger into the center of her tattoo, where the black was darkest.

Akira screamed again, the icy-coolness of his venom battling fiercely with whatever toxin Shizuka used. If it were possible to be frozen and burned to death at the same time, it would probably feel better than the strange suffering happening in her veins.

Despite the pain, Akira could feel her body strengthening, the debilitating effects of the toxin were being defeated by Kai’s unique venom. The academic voice in the back of Akira’s mind was remarkably pleased by the field test; Akira and Kai had been working for years to alter Kai’s venom to be a cure-all antidote to any poison or venom Akira might come into contact with. For obvious reasons, they hadn’t done a test on any exceptionally dangerous toxins but the question on whether or not their work had been successful now seemed definitively answered. 

* * *

**Masaru**

Another scream died in Masaru’s throat; caught by his choking sorrow. He could feel it building up inside him, the shock, the pain, the rage, all of it rushing around, clawing and tearing, seeking some means of escape. Over the roaring of his pulse, Masaru heard a small chuckle and something inside him broke. He lashed out, turning and throwing himself at the sound before he could register who made it.

A bloody face filled his vision, a ruined eye and a demonic smirk. Shards of images flashed before his eyes but he didn’t even bother trying to make sense of them. He kicked, punched, clawed, bit; every hit he made sent a surge of vindication rushing through him. He didn’t even notice the misses, just used the momentum to redirect his attack, his body moving on lethal instinct. 

His hand slipped through blood as he punched and an enraged shriek brought him slightly back to reality. A single black eye stared into his and before he could look away, he was trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter summary for those who wanted to skip the minor character death:  
Masaru and Akira are fighting in the arena. Kagemura Shizuka kills Masaru's Mom (Moriko) and wounds Kazuo. At the end of the chapter Masaru is trapt in a genjutsu by Shizuka. 
> 
> For those of you who didn't skip the chapter, how did you like it? We wanted to do some quick back and forth to capture the pace of the battle and keep things interesting. Did you like that? We warned you things were getting intense! Stay tuned to find out what Shiori and Kiyoko are up to next time!


	37. Saving the Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Kiyoko and Shiori

**Kiyoko**

Kiyoko ran for her house. On her way, she passed a few straggling civilians and encouraged them to try for the caves. It didn’t look like any enemies had made it this far into the village yet. But it was only a matter of time. 

When she saw her house still standing she felt a surge of relief. The whole time she’d been running she’d thought about her home crumbling like the walls had, into so much rubble and destruction. Thankfully it still stood, just as it always had and hopefully always would. 

She threw open the front door and ran inside with her shoes on. A heavy frying skillet came flying at her head and she barely ducked in time. 

“Kiyoko! I didn’t know it was you!” Ayane squeaked in alarm. She was standing in the kitchen in a white dress and a painting apron on, her feet bare. 

Kiyoko grinned in relief, but that was quickly followed by anger that her sister was still here. At least she was safe though and Kiyoko would be able to help her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the cast iron skillet still spinning on the ground, after having left a sizable dent in the wall. Well, it would have been effective if it had hit home. 

“Hurry, put your shoes on! You should have already evacuated.” Kiyoko said. 

“I know!” Ayane hurried to the door and slid into her sandals. “But I can’t find Momo!” She pointed to a large basket by the door that wiggled a little. 

“You’ve been rounding up cats?! Honey, they can take care of themselves. Bad guys aren't interested in hurting our fur babies. They want to hurt you.” Kiyoko said. But she grabbed the basket with Nana in it. So long as the cat was already gathered, they’d take her as well. It would help calm Ayane. And maybe calm Kiyoko a little too. As she started thinking about it, those snakes probably ate kitties…

Ayane stood up and looked Kiyoko over. “Are you hurt?” She asked, biting her lower lip, looking at the blood on Kiyoko’s face.

Kiyoko shook her head. She grabbed the frying pan and handed it back to her sister. “No. I’m not. But that’s how serious this is. So take this and if anything happens, throw it at the bad guy and run as fast as you can for the caves. Leave me and don’t look back.” She ordered. 

Ayane opened her mouth to argue, but she looked Kiyoko in the eyes, their green eyes with gold flecks that were nearly identical, and she probably read something in them because she closed her mouth. “I’ll be okay.” She promised. “But don’t let that happen.” 

“I’ll fight for you. I promise.” Kiyoko nodded and carrying Nana she stepped back out into the street. 

Now she had her sister by her side, she felt butterflies in her stomach as she ran. She couldn’t go at full speed of course, and every metallic clang of kunai in the streets nearby scared her. The snakes were now rampaging through the village, everywhere they heard buildings collapsing and people screaming. 

Ayane did her best to run with her sister, though she’d never trained, she had natural speed and ability that kept them moving and so far avoiding any conflicts. But as they got closer to the Hokage Rock they started to see more enemies in the streets. 

As they hurried along they came across others trying to get to the cave, and Kiyoko urged them to join in their run. Kiyoko’s head swam as she tried to pick routes that would keep them away from snakes but didn’t get too far off track. The longer they were out the more likely they’d run into someone she had to fight. 

They had a group of about seven people now including Ayane. Thankfully someone in the group offered to carry Nana, leaving Kiyoko’s hands free again in case trouble came. Whenever she saw a citizen still out she encouraged them to join. But the larger their group got the harder it was to protect them. Kiyoko frowned. She hadn’t realized that it wasn’t so easy to keep a large group moving. But everyone they grabbed moved at a different pace, reacted to her orders differently, the hiding places they could pause in changed. It was like one of those annoying word problems from her academy days, how many people could she save before she risked losing them all. 

Kiyoko heard a group of shinobi coming forward and ushered everyone into an empty building. She stayed by the door and prayed they’d go past. Thankfully they did run by, too much in a hurry to stop and check for civilians. 

Ayane took deep ragged breaths and clutched her frying pan. “How much further?” She asked once they’d gone.

“We’re close,” Kiyoko promised. 

“I don’t remember it being so far.” One of the women complained. 

“We’re taking a strange route to avoid snakes and bad guys. Just keep with me and you’ll be okay.” She promised, forcing herself to smile. Though it was probably terrifying with dried blood on her face. 

She escorted her group back out into the street and they started running again. The next time however they weren’t so lucky. Two young looking sound-nin, probably the same age as Kiyoko saw them and ran at the group.

“Get to cover!” She shouted to those behind her. She didn’t order them to move on, this wouldn’t take long. 

Kiyoko ran toward them, sword drawn and used the body flicker technique, coming up behind them. They both startled and she stabbed one of them with her sword, slicing through his middle. The girl sound-nin used a gust of wind to blow up and onto the roof, effectively escaping any further interactions with Kiyoko. When the sound-nin didn’t jump back down to attack, Kiyoko whistled for her group to come out of hiding. 

“It’s clear. Let’s go.” She said. 

The other six came out, looking grateful. Ayane came out, but the look on her face was one of pain. Kiyoko looked at her with a frown but Ayane wouldn't meet her eyes. She’d seen what had happened, the way Kiyoko had simply killed that boy. Kiyoko felt her heart clench. She knew her sister hated violence. But she hadn’t expected it to upset her so much to see Kiyoko fight. Especially in the circumstances. 

Kiyoko shook her head, trying to shrug it off. They’d have to work on that later. Kiyoko started moving again, her group scrambling to keep up. 

They were nearly to the caves when Kiyoko skidded to a halt because a large sand shinobi stepped out in front of them. 

“Well well well. More civilians to slaughter.” He said, pulling out a bloody kunai. 

“Keep going, everyone!” She pulled out her sword. This one was going to take more time, she could feel it. This shinobi was way beyond her level. And she couldn’t afford to let her people wait for her to defeat him, they needed safety more. 

“But-” She heard Ayane objecting. 

“I’ll be right there,” Kiyoko promised without looking away. She heard the group double back, heading down a different street. 

“What’s this? A genin with a fancy sword? You won’t be catching up with anyone blondie.” The man laughed. 

Kiyoko was mad, madder than she’d ever been. This man temporarily stood for the entire invading army that had ruined her home and threatened her sister. She wasn’t going to let him get away with that. She burst forward, using chakra in her feet and jumping at him, her blade ready to stab into him. 

* * *

**Shiori**

Shiori watched the Kagemura before her closely, her pulse pounding in her throat.

“So, you’re Shiori,” the man said in a soft, almost hoarse voice. His bone white hair fell in front of his face, contrasting sharply with his black eyes. “I thought you’d be taller.”

Shiori was about to respond when the other Kagemura spoke up. She looked close to Shiori’s age, maybe a year or two older.

“She’s mine,” the woman said, stepping forward. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this?” She asked, circling Shiori like a feral animal. “What made  _ you _ so special?” She hissed. “ _ I _ should have been sent here, I was  _ meant _ to come here!”

A flash of recognition brought back memories of a small, mousy child. Shiori’s cousin, a year her senior, who had spent her entire childhood hearing what an honor it was to be sent to Konoha. She was the only one who had protested louder than Shiori and Shou when Shiori had been sent instead; Satomi.

“I didn’t ask for this,” Shiori said, trying to watch her movements as well at the other Kagemura. He seemed content to let Satomi have her fun for now, but Shiori couldn’t afford to rely on that.

“Didn’t you?” Satomi said, tilting her head slightly. Her short, spiky black hair was standing on end and it took Shiori a moment to realize that she was gathering tendrils of electricity along both arms. “Pretty little Shiori, destined to rise even as the rest of us fall.”

Satomi lashed out with both hands, streaks of lightning shooting toward Shiori too quickly for her to dodge. Shiori screamed as the electricity ran through her, a burning agony bursting from every nerve in her body. Every muscle tensed as her body froze in place and, for a lingering moment, Shiori wasn’t sure if she was alive or dead.

Shiori couldn’t decide if she was clenching her teeth by choice or because of the involuntary muscle spasms still coursing through her body. Somehow, she was on her knees. She wasn’t actually sure how she’d gotten there. How long had the pain lasted? A few seconds? A lifetime? Perhaps both. She shook her head, desperately trying to clear it as every muscle in her body ached. 

With bleary eyes, she looked toward Satomi in time to see her raise her arms for another attack. Shiori acted on impulse, rolling to the side just as another bolt of lightning struck the ground where she’d been kneeling. Shiori struggled to her feet, only to stumble and fall to one knee, her muscles not quite ready to behave.

Satomi shook her head in disgust. “You’re weak,” she spat. “You’ve always been weak.”

“Weak?” Shiori said, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to stand. “What do you know of strength? You think you were wronged by not being sent here? You have no idea how I’ve lived.” 

Shiori threw a handful of shuriken at Satomi, distracting her so Shiori could shoot a torrent of water at her. 

The water hit Satomi and pushed her back against the wall of an apartment building hard enough to crack the plaster. The young woman slumped to the ground, her short hair falling into her face.

“I gave up everything so you could have your freedom,” Shiori said, watching as Satomi climbed to her feet. “And this is what you did with it?”

“Freedom?” Satomi spat. “We lived like monks, separated from everyone because we were so afraid of what they’d do if they saw how weak we’d become. I could’ve become something here, I could’ve gotten out, but instead, you took that from me.”

She rushed toward Shiori, and Shiori activated her yureigan.

The first images threatened to tear her mind in two, even as she tried to focus her gaze. There were so many ways to die in combat, so many images of death that seemed to radiate from Satomi like a macabre kaleidoscope. As Shiori dodged Satomi’s attack, she began to recognize the difference between the lingering images of a death avoided mere moments ago, and the slightly blurred images of deaths waiting to happen. A kunai, it’s edges smudged like a painting left in the rain, raced toward Satomi from somewhere in the distance. A moment later, the real kunai entered Shiori’s vision and Satomi was already ducking, avoiding the projectile easily. 

Shiori watched as a shadowy version of Satomi lunged forward again, ghostly lightning flickering around her wrists, shortly after, the real Satomi moved forward and Shiori followed a shadow version of herself as the shade stepped to her left. Satomi’s shade adjusted its trajectory, shortly followed by Satomi and Shiori continued to follow the steps of her own shadowy self as the shade spun and tripped Satomi.

Satomi stumbled forward and Shiori used her momentum against her, kicking her in the back and sending her flying into the water left behind by Shiori’s earlier attack. As soon as Satomi’s lightning-enhanced arms touched the water, she screamed and her body began to jerk uncontrollably. Shiori followed the motions of her shadow and threw a kunai at Satomi’s back, stilling her forever.

* * *

**Kiyoko**

Her running forward in a rage didn’t pay off, in the back of her mind she heard Akira-sensei reminding her that rage seldom paid off. The Suna-nin sent a gust of wind at her, making her gasp in pain as a gust of wind came from him and caught her midair, sending her flying backward. 

She flew through the open window of her favorite restaurant, landing hard on one of the wooden tables. 

Quickly she rolled to her feet, swinging her sword as she saw the Suna-nin coming in for another attack. He crawled through the window and she managed to slash him across his arm, blood oozing from the wound but she hadn’t been close enough for real damage. 

Kiyoko lashed out with a series of kicks, and sword strikes, leaving the Suna-nin barely able to keep up with her. But despite the ferocity and speed of her attack, he had battle sense and wisdom. He blocked her moves and then sliced his kunai across her wrist, making Kiyoko howl in pain and drop her blade. 

He grinned and opened his mouth, most likely to gloat. Kiyoko glared and kicked him hard in the knee, using chakra to help the force of her attack, dislocating his kneecap. 

He screamed and dropped to the ground, cursing something at her she didn’t quite catch over the ringing in her ears. Kiyoko grabbed her kunai in her off-hand, praying she could just finish him off when he grabbed her ankles and yanked them.

Kiyoko screamed when he tossed her about like a rag doll, unable to help herself as he threw her careening back over the bar and into the shelf of bottles before landing on the floor. 

Kiyoko’s breath left her lungs in a rush and she laid there, trying to decide if she’d died or not. She tried to breathe in deep but felt a sharp pain in her lungs. Trying to move she felt like her body was on fire, the pain nearly blinding her. She felt glass laying all around her, but she couldn’t think about what all the damage was. Everywhere hurt, everything hurt, the world had a faint reddish tinge in her vision. Kiyoko had to move, but her body was protesting strongly. 

On the other side of the bar, the Suna-nin screamed and she wondered if he’d put his knee back in the joint already. His shadow fell over her a moment later and she couldn’t help but shudder in terror. 

She kept trying to move, but with every move, she felt whatever it was in her back slide in further she reached for something, anything to help her. 

The Suna-nin looked down at her and laughed, “Foolish blondie.” He said. 

“Help…” Kiyoko whimpered, praying to the gods for something. 

A fierce roar came from behind Kiyoko and a giant ball of orange fluff sprang forward and attacked the Suna-nin’s face, clawing, biting, and hissing. 

Kiyoko almost laughed as she saw Momo trying to save her. That fat ball of fluff was making a better shinobi right now than she was! She forced herself up, everything in her body begging her not to move. She couldn’t really feel her dominant hand anymore and her back was killing her. Kiyoko could tell there was something in her back that shouldn’t be, something sharp and intrusive that burrowed deeper and deeper. 

She knew she wasn’t getting enough air as she gasped for breath. Dots danced in front of her eyes. But she’d be damned if she let Momo’s moment of bravery go to waste. 

The Suna-nin struggled with the tabby, thankfully having dropped his weapon he was forced to tear Momo away from his head. From the sounds the enemy shinobi was making, Momo was tearing away most of his face as he went. 

Finally, he grabbed Momo by the scruff and pulled him away from his face. He glared at the cat and threw him, flinging him across the room while Momo yelled angrily. There was a loud thud and then silence. Kiyoko’s lip quivered. Her tubby buddy was usually brilliantly lucky, perhaps he was simply stunned. He’d fallen from the second story once when trying to chase a bird off the windowsill and walked away totally unharmed. Surely he’d be fine now. Kiyoko didn’t have time to go check though, she glared at the enemy in front of her. 

The Suna-nin was screaming, grabbing his eye, she guessed Momo must have scratched it bad and maybe blinded him. Not that it would matter. 

While he was panicked over his eye she staggered to him, ignoring his angry thrashing, and grabbed his kunai off the ground. 

She targeted what Akira-sensei called the ‘sweet spot’, right in the brainstem. It took an incredible amount of energy, but her chakra had already replenished while she’d laid on the floor. She’d never been able to manage it in training but she turned the simple kunai from a small blade to a sword with her chakra flow, sliding easily into the man’s brain stem, killing him instantly. 

Kiyoko looked down at him and realized she was crying which was silly. But she couldn’t stop herself as she tried to get to the door to the restaurant. The least Kiyoko could do would be to move to a location where someone might hopefully save her. 

There was no way she’d be going off to meet up with her sister sadly. Hopefully, Ayane had made it to the caves and would be safe along with all the others. 

She got to the doorway and sank down, leaning on her arm since leaning on her back was out of the question. Kiyoko looked down at her wrist the Oto-nin had slashed. It was still bleeding pretty steadily but it didn’t look too deep. 

Forcing herself to at least do something useful she ripped the bottom of her tunic off and tried tying a bandage. It wasn’t very right, but she hoped it would keep her alive until help came. 

“Please please please.” She whispered. Her mind on Shiori who she had left alone, on Masaru and all her other friends. Hopefully, they had more luck with their battles. 

* * *

**Shiori**

“Well done,” the second Kagemura said, clapping slowly as he looked between Shiori and Satomi’s corpse. “I’m surprised you’ve managed to come this far without a teacher.”

“I’ve gotten a few pointers,” Shiori said, trying to ignore the pounding headache behind her eyes.

The man smirked. “From Shizuka, no doubt. That woman is playing a dangerous game.”

Shiori didn’t respond; she wanted to deactivate her yureigan, watching this man die time and again wasn’t doing anything to help her nerves or her headache. 

“Tell me,” he said, studying her. “Have you looked into a mirror yet?” He asked, gesturing to his all-black eyes.

Shiori frowned, the idea of looking into a mirror with her yureigan activated was hideous, especially when she clearly had so much more to learn about her ability.

“No?” He asked. “Would you like me to show you what I’m seeing?”

Shiori’s frown became a glare and she fought to focus her yureigan on the moment she needed to see; ignoring all the deaths flashing over him. 

He ran for her, then suddenly shifted direction and slipped into the shadow of a crumbling wall. Shiori gasped, her concentration breaking enough that she barely avoided his attack as he appeared out of a different shadow on the other side of the street. 

Angry and confused, she refocused her chakra, throwing more of it than ever before behind her eyes.

She wasn’t actually sure what happened next. One moment, the man was almost on her, a manic smile on his face as he guided a kunai toward her heart. In the next instant, shadows seemed to converge from all sides to surround him. As soon as they arrived, they vanished, taking the man with them. It happened quickly, between one heartbeat and the next.

Shiori quickly deactivated her yureigan, leaning against a wall as a light-headed feeling swept through her whole body, as if she wasn’t entirely there any more, herself. 

She had no idea what she’d just done, and had no time to figure it out. The sounds of combat echoed all around her and she knew there were more Kagemura to be dealt with. Shiori bit her thumb and made hand-signs before pressing her hand to the ground.

Yuko appeared in a puff of smoke and looked around. Shiori still wasn’t great at reading the spider’s facial expressions, but she thought Yuko looked surprised.

“Morsel,” Yuko said, turning to her. “Weren’t you supposed to be having an exam?”

Shiori felt herself smiling a little at the sardonic tone in Yuko’s voice. “There was an attack in the middle of the exams. Sunagakure, Otogakure, and members of the Kagemura are invading the Village.”

“In the middle of a tournament?” Yuko asked, sounding aghast. “How rude.”

Shiori dodged to the side as a kunai came flying toward her and Yuko hissed, spitting a sticky web-like substance at the attacker as he ran toward them. The Oto-nin screamed as the web hit him, falling to the ground in agony.

“What was that?” Shiori asked.

“A toxic web, my little Morsel,” Yuko said, sounding immensely pleased with herself. “I absolutely abhor interruptions.”

“I didn’t realize you could do that,” Shiori said, watching as the man slowly stopped twitching.

“We still have so much to learn about each other, don’t we?” Yuko said. “I suppose this isn’t the time though. I assume you summoned me for my combat abilities, not my enchanting company, yes?”

Shiori nodded, her eyes darting around the street. It was empty now, but she could see people running and fighting further away.

“Very well, I suppose I could use some exercise,” Yuko said.

“Wait,” Shiori said, holding up a hand to stop her as she started to move away. “Target the Kagemura, please.”

Yuko glanced back and nodded. “As you like.”

Shiori didn’t particulary like the idea of sending a giant spider to murder her clan, but they hadn’t exactly left her with many options. She took stock of herself as she prepared to rejoin the fighting. Her body still ached from Satomi’s lightning and her chakra levels were low. Not low enough to be concerned, yet; in fact, they were better than she’d expected. But she would have to be more judicious with how she used her yureigan.

Shiori took a deep breath and jumped onto the rooftops, racing toward Kiyoko’s house. Kiyoko had promised to return after she’d gotten Ayane to safety, but Shiori knew better than to expect that in this chaos. Running over the rooftops, Shiori could tell that the path to Kiyoko’s house was messy. At least one of the giant snakes had come this way, cutting a wide swath through the buildings. Groups of Konoha shinobi were engaged in combat in the rubble; most of the enemies were from Otogakure and Sunagakure, but Shiori could see the traditional dark grey coats of the Kagemura scattered amongst the others.

A scream sounded to her right and she diverted her course, a pair of Konoha shinobi were facing off against a member of her clan - and losing badly. 


	38. In The Nick Of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Masaru, Akira, Shiori, and Kiyoko

**Masaru**

At first, Masaru didn’t feel the pain as silver claws ripped through his throat. The first thing he felt was the warm rush of blood down his chest, then the gagging, choking sensation of trying to draw breath through a windpipe that was no longer there. He barely had time to process that he was dying before his throat was whole again. One deep, beautiful breath was all he got; a moment later, his body jerked as a handful of kunai embedded themselves into his back, knocking the air out of his lungs. He stumbled to his hands and knees as the kunai vanished and the skin on his arms began to crackle and burn, fire eating its way toward his face. There wasn’t time to scream before his view shifted and he watched his body move away, horror barely having time to grow as he realized that the dull thumping he heard was his head bouncing across the ground. 

He gasped as his body became whole again and he found himself standing in darkness, a pale woman in a bloodstained white kimono standing before him with a hand around his throat. 

“I could break you,” she said, her voice a raspy croak. “I could destroy everything you are, everything you want to be, with a single thought. Do you understand that?”

The hatred and rage burning Masaru from the inside out seemed to fade away, like a raging beast corralled into a pen too small to contain it. He found himself nodding, hating every bob of his head.

“Good,” Shizuka said. Her black eyes seemed to draw him in until he felt like he was falling through a dark abyss, surrounded on all sides by death and horror. “You’re Shiori’s teammate,” Shizuka continued. “I assume you’re partially to blame for her loyalty to this place?”

It was a question, but Masaru didn’t bother to answer it. He knew this was a genjutsu, and if his training with Shiori was any indication, he knew he couldn’t force his way out of it. What he didn’t know was how closely his position to Shizuka mirrored the real world.

“It’s her fault that this is happening to you,” Shizuka hissed. “I want you to know that. I’m hurting you in order to hurt her. She has to be punished for turning her back on us, but she isn’t here right now. And you are.”

Masaru clenched his jaw and gripped Shizuka’s wrist with one hand. He may not be able to use medical ninjutsu, but he was still the son of one of Konoha’s most skilled medic-nin and Fujita Moriko would never let her son run around unaware of the weaknesses a skilled medic could exploit. 

“I’m not going to kill you,” Shizuka said. “But I am going to ruin you. I’m-”

Masaru sent a burst of chakra through his hand, focusing everything he had on a pressure point on Shizuka’s wrist. Her hand spasmed briefly then froze, her muscles paralyzed by Masaru’s chakra. He swung his other arm in an arc and felt Shizuka’s genjutsu shatter around him as the kunai in his hand sliced across her neck.

He fell to his knees in the arena as Shizuka stumbled backward, her hand clutching her own throat as blood leaked through her fingers. She looked at Masaru in shock, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to form words. Another Kagemura appeared beside her and they pressed their own hand to her neck. Masaru growled as the green glow of medical ninjutsu surrounded the other Kagemura’s hand and Shizuka’s neck began to heal. He lurched forward, intent on destroying them both.

A third Kagemura appeared and kicked him in the stomach, sending him stumbling backward. 

“We’re leaving,” the Kagemura medic said. “We’ve done what we came here to do.”

Masaru’s eyes flickered toward the roof in time to see the barrier there flicker out of existence.

“No,” he yelled, racing forward again. 

The third Kagemura lashed out again and Masaru ducked under the kick and slid on his knees through the dirt. As he regained his feet, Masaru spun and buried his kunai in the Kagemura’s spine. A scream of rage tore at his throat as he turned to see Shizuka and her medic vanishing over the arena wall. He started forward, intent on preventing their escape, when a deep voice called him back.

“Masaru, you can’t go after them alone,” Kai, Akira-sensei’s scorpion said.

Masaru rounded on her, his scream of defiance dying in his throat when he saw Akira-sensei collapsed next to Kazuo.

“Akira-sensei,” he said, running to her side. He stumbled as he knelt next to her, his chakra dangerously low.

“She’s very low on chakra,” Kai explained from where he was standing on her back. “I’m going to transfer some of my chakra to her, but it will cause me to return home. I need to know that you are going to stay with her,” the black scorpion said pointedly.

Masaru had no doubt that Akira had made him swear not to leave until he was sure Masaru wouldn’t do something foolish.

“I’ll stay with her,” Masaru said, meaning it despite his desire to chase after Shizuka.

“Good on you,” Kai said and Masaru thought he could detect a hint of pride in the scorpion’s deep voice. “I’ll see you later.” 

He vanished in a puff of smoke and a moment later, Akira-sensei began to stir.

* * *

**Akira**

It had taken nearly all of Akira’s chakra to clear the worst of the poison from Kazuo’s system. Even so, he was still unconscious when Kai forced her to stop. The troublesome scorpion wouldn’t even let her try to finish the healing Moriko had started on the jagged cut that ran across the juncture of Kazuo’s neck and shoulder and trailed down to his sternum. Moriko had stopped the worst of the bleeding, but the wound still oozed blood.

“The last thing Kazuo-san would want is for you to sacrifice your life for his, Akira-san,” Kai said, his deep voice tinged with desperation.

“I can’t lose him, Kai,” Akira said in a hoarse whisper.

“You won’t,” Kai said. 

Akira didn’t know where his confidence came from, but a furious shriek drew her attention away from her brother and back to Shizuka. What she saw nearly stopped her heart. Shizuka had Masaru by the neck, the two frozen in place as Shizuka trapped Masaru in a genjutsu.

“No,” Akira said, trying to move toward the pair only to have the world start to spin around her. “Damn it,” she gasped as her vision darkened. “Kai, don’t leave him…”

Akira returned to consciousness slowly, she could feel Kai’s chakra running through her and she felt a surge of panic. Hadn’t she told that damn arachnid not to leave Masaru?

“Akira-sensei?” Masaru’s voice was trembling but clear.

Akira grimaced as she sat up, her entire body ached. Her eyes flickered from Masaru to Kazuo to Moriko to the last remnants of the enemy as they retreated, and finally to the roof of the arena where the barrier was gone but a forest seemed to have sprung up in its place.

She sighed and put a hand on Masaru’s shoulder, looking him over. He had a few scrapes and bruises but other than being clearly exhausted, he looked okay. Physically, at least.

Akira looked away from Masaru as Emi ran toward them, tears streaming down her face even as she ignored her mother’s body and ran straight for Masaru.

“I’m okay,” Masaru said softly.

Emi nodded, clearly incapable of forming words at the moment. She pulled Masaru into a quick hug before clearing her throat and turning toward Akira.

“Do you need healing?” She asked.

“There are others who need it more,” Akira responded.

Emi nodded, somehow managing to look fiercely professional despite her tears. “I’ll see to your brother,” Emi said, turning to Kazuo.

“Thank you,” Akira said. She didn’t have the words to tell Emi or Masaru how sorry she was. She’d failed to protect their mother. No matter what she did or said, she would never be able to make that up to them. 

She forced herself to her feet and turned her attention to the roof. 

“Masaru, stay here,” she said before racing off.

Akira landed on the roof and pushed her way through the shinobi that had already gathered. The rush of relief she felt at the sight of Kakashi standing there, apparently unharmed, turned to numb disbelief as she stopped next to him and saw what he was looking at. The Third Hokage was dead. 

The full reality of their situation finally caught up to Akira and she felt a wave of weariness. The Village had been attacked, looking out over Konoha from the roof of the arena, Akira could tell that the damage was extensive. Who knew how many lives were lost? Homes and businesses destroyed? They would recover from this, but it would take time and so much effort that the sheer magnitude of it almost seemed like too much. And now, they would have to do it without the Hokage. 

Akira had argued with him frequently, but she had never doubted his dedication to Konoha. In fact, that dedication to the greatest good for the entire village at the expense of the few had been one of the main causes of their arguments. But now he himself was another acceptable sacrifice; an exchange willingly made to ensure that his people were given the chance to survive. Akira was too tired to cry, even for him, but the weight of his loss settled into her bones.

“Damn them.”

Akira heard angry whispers from the shinobi around them.

“Why would Suna do this?”

“Orochimaru…”

“How could the Hokage’s be dead?

“We should have eliminated the Kagemura the first time they tried this.”

Akira’s eyes widened and she extended her chakra as far as she could, given how little she had left to spare. Where was Shiori? Akira hadn’t seen her - or Kiyoko - at all during the battle. She was worried about them both, but she had to find Shiori first. Once word of the Hokage’s death spread, no Kagemura would be safe, regardless of what side they were on. 

* * *

**Shiori**

Shiori rushed toward the pair of Konoha-nin facing off with the Kagemura. One, a woman with dark brown hair, was screaming and slashing at the other Konoha-nin, clearly trapped in a genjutsu. The other Konoha-nin, a man with sandy blonde hair, was trying to stay away from her and keep an eye on the Kagemura as well. Shiori threw a kunai, trying to distract the Kagemura and break the genjutsu.

The Kagemura stepped easily out of the way and Shiori shot a stream of water at him, forcing him to retreat further. Shiori brushed the Konoha kunoichi’s shoulder as she ran past, pushing a burst of chakra into her and releasing her from the genjutsu.

The woman staggered forward and lashed out at Shiori, free from the illusion but clearly seeing Shiori as her enemy. Shiori dodged to the left in time to avoid a serious injury, but the woman’s kunai still slashed across Shiori’s thigh.

Shiori rolled, her attention still on the Kagemura that was currently making hand-signs. The Kagemura shot a stream of fire at Shiori and she shot water in return. The two jutsu met in midair, creating a cloud of steam that Shiori dove into, hoping to use it for cover. Crouching low, Shiori moved through the steam, her eyes wide as she searched for her clan member. In the back of her mind, she was disturbed at how willing she was to kill the people she’d lived her entire life to protect. A dark shape rose out of the steam and Shiori lunged, sinking her kunai into their back.

The shape vanished in a poof of smoke - a shadow clone - and Shiori spun around just in time to block a kunai from the real Kagemura. Acting on instinct, Shiori threw a kunai of her own and heard the Kagemura cry out as the steam began to dissipate. Lunging toward the now kneeling figure, Shiori slammed another kunai into their chest and they crumpled to the ground.

Shiori slumped against the wall, breathing heavily and holding a bandage to her thigh. The cut on her leg wasn’t serious, but it stung with every beat of her heart. She eyed the pair of Konoha shinobi in front of her warily; they hadn’t lowered their weapons, even though the other Kagemura was dead at their feet, compliments of Shiori’s blade. 

“I’m on your side,” she said, surprised to find her voice raspy. 

They didn’t respond, but she noticed the woman’s hand tightening on her kunai.

Shiori felt a tightness in her chest and it took all her willpower to remain standing, even with the wall for support. She was so tired; why did they have to doubt her now? She didn’t even have the energy to be afraid.

“Stand down!”

Another pair of shinobi raced toward them through the rubble; Shiori recognized them as Akira-sensei’s friends, Kotetsu and Izumo.

“I said, stand down,” Kotetsu repeated. “That’s Akira-chan’s student, you idiots.”

The other two did as they were told, though the woman still glared at Shiori suspiciously. 

“Come on,” Izumo said. “We’re needed at the caves.”

“Hey, are you okay?” Kotetsu asked as Izumo led the other two away.

“I’m fine,” Shiori said. She tried to stand up straight but she stumbled, her legs weak.

“Whoa,” Kotetsu said, grabbing her shoulders to steady her. “You’d better stay here; it looks like things are winding down, I’ll send Akira for you.”

“I’m fine,” Shiori repeated but she knew it was futile. Her legs were trembling so much she had no hope of standing on her own, let alone running.

“That’s good,” Kotetsu said, clearly not believing her. “But I still need you to stay here. Akira would kill me if I let you run around with that cut.” 

He gestured to Shiori’s leg and Shiori sighed; he was giving her an out, letting her pretend she was staying to help him.

“Okay,” she said, swallowing her pride. “I’ll stay here.”

Kotetsu smiled and helped her sit. “I owe you,” he said with a smile before waving and hurrying after Izumo and the others.

Shiori waved after him and leaned back against the wall. The air was filled with smoke and dust and the scent of death. She wanted to cry, or scream, but all she had the energy to do was sit and remind herself to breathe. 

“Shiori,” Akira-sensei’s voice came through the fog in Shiori’s head. For a second, she wasn’t sure she’d actually heard anything but then Akira-sensei called her name again. “Shiori, are you okay?”

Shiori frowned as she tried to focus on the woman running toward her. Akira-sensei looked as tired as Shiori felt. 

“Are you okay?” Akira-sensei repeated when she reached Shiori.

Shiori shrugged and opened her mouth to tell her ‘yes’ but all that came out was a squeak, followed by a shuddering sob. Before she knew what was happening, she was crying and Akira-sensei was there, her arms wrapped around Shiori as she held her close.

The grisly remains of battle were everywhere; the scent of blood and worse, the screams and moans of the injured and dying, the thrum of adrenaline that left an intense weariness as it faded. Shiori closed her eyes and buried her face in Akira-sensei’s jacket, clinging to the woman like she was an island in the storm of devastation around them. 

Akira-sensei ran a hand through her hair and Shiori heard her voice murmuring to her, soft words meant to soothe, but Shiori couldn’t quite make them out. She found that the words themselves didn’t matter, however, as the gentle tone seeped into her mind and eventually calmed her tears.

“Thank you,” Shiori muttered as her body threatened to sink into an inescapable weariness as her horror subsided.

Akira-sensei nodded, smiling down at her with a gentle affection. 

* * *

**Kiyoko**

Kiyoko wasn’t sure how long she sat in that doorway, her consciousness slipping in and out. She did what she could to stay awake, knowing it could be dangerous to sleep at this point. Hadn’t Masaru said something about that once? She couldn’t recall anymore. 

She’d called Momo but there was no response. Tears slipped from her eyes as she thought that perhaps he’d given his life for her. The poor baby. She sobbed softly while she waited, drawing shaky breaths. She was pretty sure something was wrong with her lungs, she started feeling raspy as she tried to breathe. Masaru would know what to do. Or they could all go to Moriko and she’d help, then make some soup. Soup sounded good…

“Kiyoko!” Akamaru ran up and touched Kiyoko’s lap with his paw. 

Kiyoko giggled wearily then wished she hadn’t since it hurt. She hadn’t realized that she was so out of it that she’d imagine Akamaru was talking to her. 

Akamaru’s mouth opened in a bark and she swore she heard him call her name again. 

But this time he sounded like Kiba’s voice. She lifted her eyes and saw Kiba running toward her. 

She sighed in relief, glad he found her, glad anyone found her. 

He was still speaking, saying something and then he tried to lift her which made her eyes snap open and scream in pain. 

“Sorry. I don’t know how else to do it.” He said, holding her in his arms. “Shit, this is horrible…” 

“Momo.” Kiyoko said, her voice coming out weak. “Momo.” She whimpered again.

“We’re going to the hospital first. Then I’ll look for your cat.” Kiba said. He wasn’t a super big fan of cats but he knew Kiyoko loved hers. 

Kiyoko groaned as they ran to the hospital. She wanted to ask about her friends and family but she couldn’t make words just now.

Kiba carefully put her down on the floor of the hospital, presumably, they’d run out of beds. 

“They’ll be right here. Just hold on.” He said, squeezing her hand. 

“Momo!” Kiyoko said, trying to get up. Funny enough she didn’t even feel the pain in her back anymore, it was just a coldness that had spread through her. She shuddered and squeezed Kiba’s hand as hard as she could. 

“I know.” He nodded.

Akamaru licked Kiyoko’s hand. 

“Go now.” She said, letting go of him and hoping he’d understand how bad it might be. 

He looked like he might argue but then Akamaru barked and Kiba gave a nod. “We’ll be back.” He promised. 

Kiyoko nodded and finally let herself fall into a cold slumber. 


	39. Adult Bath Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter are Kakashi and Akria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not to give spoilers but this chapter is why we rated it M ;)

**Kakashi**

The day after the battle was madness. Kakashi stood at the KIA memorial and sighed. He’d lost more friends during the battle, this time not just shinobi. But the sweet lady who ran the vegetable stand he liked, the old man who tried to trap Kakashi in conversation whenever Kakshi got too close to his apartment. They were all gone too. 

Since the nine-tails attack nothing so deadly had ravaged the village. And that didn’t bring back any good memories of course.

Kakashi woke up the next day after the attack and went out to survey the damage. There were people out already though it was just past dawn. They were sorting through the rubble and crying over lost things in their homes. All the bodies should have been collected by now, so at least they wouldn't have to see that.

Kakashi headed to Akira’s house. He knew Akira would be busy with her team, she was much more of a hand-holder than he was. And he doubted Akira had had time yet to look over what had become of her place. 

Sadly, as he got closer he could tell the news wouldn't be good. One of the snakes must have come through here because there was just a trail of rubble everywhere. He climbed up over some of the ruins and looked around what used to be her living room. 

Storm clouds were gathering, in a day or two there would no doubt be a heavy downpour. They had to save things while they could. 

“Hey! What are you doing to-” A chunin ran up to Kakashi.

Kakashi turned around. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was you. I’ve been told to keep an eye on this area in case there are any thieves.” The chunin apologized. 

“It’s okay.” Kakashi nodded. “I’m just here to help Akira with some things.” He explained. 

“Yes, sir.” The chunin went back to patrolling the area. 

Kakashi smiled a little and summoned his ninken. 

“More trouble?” Pakkun asked. 

Kakashi shook his head and crouched down. “No, today is moving day. I can’t ask anyone else to help, they’ve all got too much to do. Let’s grab as much of Akira’s things as we can and take them to my place. Stuff with a strong scent on it so we know she likes it.” 

The ninkin gave him a pointed look and he chuckled. 

“I know,” He agreed, “but it’s for Akira. You all like Akira.” He said. 

The dogs had to agree and so they started sniffing around through the rubble. Bull got a mouthful of clothes and ran off with them, Shiba took a mug out of the cabinet, it was chipped but otherwise intact and he ran off with it. 

Kakashi chuckled as everyone worked. He gathered up what he could of the papers since those wouldn't be so good with dog slobber. 

“Have you told Akira about this? Her scent is vague in your place.” Pakkun said after he’d brought a box of vials to Kakashi’s house. 

“Not yet.” He admitted.

The pug just stared at him, he didn’t have to say anything to get the point across.

“I know.” Kakashi shrugged. “But we’ve been busy.” 

“You’re not getting rid of our bed are you?” Pakkun said in an alarmed voice, referring to the dog bed in Kakashi’s living room. Kakashi usually didn’t bring it up it’s purpose and guests probably assumed it was needed if the Ninken were staying for a while to help with something. But honestly Kakahsi kept it in his living room for puppy piles, getting the whole ninken group together, letting them sleep together and often joining himself. 

“She will need room for her lab…” Kakashi said reluctantly. 

Pakkun and the rest of the pack nearby froze. 

“Do you really want her to know I actually summon you for dog piles?” He pointed out softly. 

They looked amongst themselves, talking silently. No they didn’t want that secret out, but the bed was non-negotiable. They all turned back to him and gave him stern looks. 

“Okay fine.” Kakashi rolled his eye, “Your bed stays. She can keep a lab somewhere else.” 

“We don’t like labs anyway. Get it? Labs?” Ūhei said with his greyhound bark of laughter. The whole pack groaned and tried not to make any comment in case it egged him on. Ūhei loved bad jokes. Every group needed one, but just one was enough.

They moved out most of the things they could save from her apartment and the ninken told Kakashi he’d better get Akira to agree because they didn't want to be used as a moving service again. He sent them home and went to go find her. 

It wasn’t until about midday that he was able to catch a minute of her time. She was just stepping out of the hospital, probably not for the first time that day. From her frazzled appearance, he guessed she hadn’t been to bed at all. 

“Akira.” He said, standing next to her.

“Kakashi-senpai.” She turned to him with a smile but sounded tired. He knew she liked to tease him with the whole ‘senpai’ business but now he guessed it was just out of habit. 

“You look dreadful.” He said, scanning over her. She was still in the clothes she’d warn to the battle and had only washed the blood away from her hands and face. There were dark circles already under her eyes, “Have you had anything to eat or any rest?” He asked.

“Tactful.” She frowned and then sighed. “With Kiyoko in the hospital and Masaru…in his current state of being? Of course not.” She shook her head.

“How are they?” He asked. 

“Well Masaru is stable, but they’re…. And Kiyoko is out of surgery and resting now. She should be fine after she’s healed. But the scars are going to tell a wicked story. Then there’s Momo, he’s with Hana and seems to be doing fine but Kiyoko is so worried about him she’s had to be drugged into sleep.” Akira explained, sounding weary. 

Kakashi nodded. All in all it was good news, in fact, given the circumstances it was excellent news. But he knew how it would weigh on Akira. He wished he had something encouraging to say but that wasn’t exactly his forte. 

“How are your kids?” She asked him before he could figure out how to reply. 

“They’re not kids anymore, Akira, not after yesterday.” He said softly. 

Akira bristled a little but sighed sadly, her shoulders slumping in defeat, “They’re still young. But you’re right, not children anymore.” She said. 

Kakashi nodded and he briefly told her about the two troublesome males on his team. All in all he wasn’t too worried about either of them. At least not physically. He shrugged. “I asked Sakura to keep an eye on them for now.” He said. 

Akira nodded. “That’s good.” 

Kakashi tipped his head, indicating she should follow. He led her somewhere more private, up on the roof of another building. 

“Kakashi? I normally love following you around but I’m a little tired and I need to go find somewhere to shower and sleep…” She said stifling a yawn. 

He chuckled at the idea that she liked following him. Under other circumstances he’d tease her about it but he let it go for now. 

“Your house is rubble.” He said as gently as he could, though it was hard to break that kind of news gently. 

Akira flinched and then sighed, “I know. I grabbed the most important thing from there last night. But I’ll have to sort the rest out later.” She looked up at the darkening sky. “Sooner than later.”

“Move in with me.” Kakashi said, blurting it out more abruptly than he’d planned. 

Akira looked up at him in surprise and blinked rapidly. 

Kakashi took a slow breath and tried again. “This isn’t part of our game or anything between us. You have nowhere to stay just now and I have a whole apartment to myself. Move in with me for as long as you need.” 

Akira smiled up at him, even when she was weary, her blue eyes shone brightly. “Oh? Is that really all this move involves?” She teased.

How she still had the energy to tease Kakashi didn’t know but he chuckled and appreciated her joke. 

“Well obviously not. I won’t deny that it works out rather well for me.” He admitted.

Akira chuckled, “Me too actually.” She smiled. 

He nodded in understanding and felt a strange burst of happiness deep inside of himself. “Come back when you’re ready. I’ll have dinner made.” He said, stepping away.

“Oh, a place to stay and dinner. You’re going to spoil me Hatake Kakashi.” Akira grinned.

Kakashi smiled to himself. He knew he was going to spoil her. But he’d already decided she needed to see there were more sides to him than the ones she thought she knew. And one of them was that deep down he wanted to care for someone. Not just anyone, and not in any public way at all. But something nice and quiet, hopefully Akira would enjoy that. 

Back at his place he started cleaning up what the ninken had left out and cooking food for her. After four years of unrequited love, it was safe to say he knew her favorite foods by now. He wasn’t a great chef, but he was pretty good. The other thing he knew as well, was that she probably wouldn't eat a bite of it tonight. Oh, she’d probably try and force herself to be polite, but she would likely just want to rest. So he put the food away in containers in his fridge. It would be easy to reheat but it wouldn’t make a lot of pressure when she arrived. 

Akira didn’t make it back to his place until late, she had an amused twitch to her lips however. 

Kakashi looked up from his book and nodded to her. He was relaxing in his sleeveless tanktop, no forehead protector, but had his mask on. 

“I went by my house just now.” Akira said, shrugging off her jacket and taking off her shoes. 

“Oh?” He asked, looking back at his book.

“Apparently you were there first thing this morning and raided my home. Which would make that before you asked me to move in.” She said, putting her finger on the top of his book and forcing it down so he had to look at her. 

He quirked a smile, “I had confidence you’d accept.” 

“Did you now?” She chuckled.

Kakashi closed his book and looked up. “Hungry?” He asked her, changing the topic. He’d rather she didn’t dwell on some things. Like how he could be downright pushy if he thought he could get away with it. 

“Ravenous. But I’d fall asleep on my plate.” She said and she flopped down on his sofa. 

Kakashi chuckled and watched her. “Need a blanket?” 

“Yes.” She said and reached out making grabby hands at the throw blanket on the back of his chair. 

He stood up, book in one hand and blanket in the other and leaned over her. With a smile he dropped it on the floor in front of her.

Akira made an unhappy whimper that turned to surprise as Kakashi climbed on the sofa and laid next to her. He put one leg over her and an arm around her. Pulling her into his chest he sighed happily. 

“You’re hardly a blanket,” Akira muttered against his neck, “I’ve never met anyone with a lower body temperature.” 

“You’ll be fine. Go to sleep.” Kakashi said and opened his book behind her head. 

Akira wiggled a little in his arms to get comfortable but finally sighed and relaxed. 

_ “Her nubile figure was easily spotted from across the room…”  _ He started reading aloud. 

Akira giggled, “Nubile? Really?” 

“Shh, go to sleep.” He said,  _ “Gliding over to her he took her hand in his, ‘My heart is only for you’...”  _

Akira giggled again. “This is a very silly bedtime story.” 

“Then go to sleep and it won’t bother you.” Kakashi pointed out. 

_ “‘Only for me, you say? But who was that lithe blonde I saw you speaking with earlier?’ ‘She is no one to me’...”  _ Kakashi kept reading and very soon Akira was asleep in his arms. 

It was hard to believe it was only two nights ago they’d been in a similar position. But Kakashi wasn’t going to let them get swept away again. Soon as they woke up he was going to make his move. 

* * *

**Akira**

Despite how tired she was, Akira wasn’t sleeping well, her mind was too busy to shut off and just let her rest. Though she certainly had no complaints about her pillow. Well, almost none. When Kakashi jumped and cried out in his sleep, Akira’s eyes flew open and she looked up at him.

His eyes were squeezed shut and he was struggling for breath, almost writhing in his sleep.

Akira gently rolled down his mask, hooked her leg over his hip, and held him closer, feeling his chest rise and fall rapidly. Smiling softly, she kissed his cheek. “Kakashi,” she said, her voice raspy from lack of sleep.

He jerked awake, blinking then closing his left eye as usual. “Sorry,” he said, reaching up to touch his bare face.

Akira put her fingers lightly on his lips and traced them before tracing his jaw softly.

“I took it off, you were gasping for air,” she said. 

Kakashi kissed her fingertips. “Thank you,” he murmured. 

“Nightmare?” She prodded a little, hoping he’d share with her. She could use someone to talk to right now. 

Kakashi nodded and sighed as she started tracing her fingers around his face again. 

“Of course.” He finally said, “Memories. Things I couldn’t fix before and I’m afraid I can’t fix now.” He frowned. 

Akira gently rubbed the little wrinkle between his brows. It was vague, but she was pretty sure she knew what he was talking about. It had to be Sasuke. She hummed softly for a moment. 

“In the short time I’ve been in charge of my first genin team,” she said with an unhappy sigh of her own. “Two of them have ended up in the hospital with life threatening injuries and the third has had both body and pride severely wounded. I didn’t think having a team of my own would be this hard.”

Kakashi smiled a little. “So, you’re saying I’m not alone in being worried.” 

“Pretty much.” Akira smiled, running a finger down his straight nose. 

“That’s comforting?” He didn’t sound like he was very sure about it. 

Akira chuckled and kissed his chin. “Well, I can’t solve your problems. But I will comfort you through your nightmares,” she promised.

Kakashi actually blushed a little, a faint pink color blossoming on his cheeks. “I don’t have that many nightmares,” he muttered. 

Akira grinned, his blush - and the fact that being caught having nightmares flustered him - was adorable and endearing. 

Kakashi pulled away from her, sitting up as best he could with Akira wrapped around him. “You did request a shower didn’t you?” He asked, avoiding her grin. 

Akira winced a little as she was moved around. The scratches on her back from Shizuka’s silver claws had scabbed over and were sticking and cracking under her bandages. 

“And you probably need your bandages changed.” Kakashi realized. 

“I’m afraid so.” Akira sighed, not loving the idea of messing with bandages just now. Especially as she remembered that, after getting the wound checked out at the hospital earlier that morning, she’d neglected to put on a bra. Helping to replace her bandages might get a bit more personal than Kakashi expected, and while Akira certainly wouldn’t object to ‘more personal’, she felt that warning him was the honorable thing to do. Then again, she was getting a bit tired of being honorable…

Kakashi stood up and held out a hand to her. “I’ll hang up your jacket,” he offered. “Though I think you’re going to have to break down and beg for a new one from Ibiki now.”

Akira sighed and slipped the jacket off. “And to think, I spent all the time fixing the arm that got slashed at the Kagemura compound. Look,” she held up the arm for him to see, “it’s perfect.”

He indulged her and admired her handiwork. “Very nice,” He said, but his eye wandered to her arm, checking the fresh pink scar that was only three weeks old. It was obvious, but not that bad, in Akira’s opinion.

She watched in amusement as his eye wandered again and he noticed that she wasn’t wearing anything under her tank-top. The faint blush on his cheeks bloomed even more, and his eye flicked back to her face. 

He smiled, the wry smile of someone who knew he was getting exactly what he wanted. “Instead of a shower, how about a bath? I could wash your back for you,” he suggested before heading off to the bathroom, letting her hang up her own coat after all. 

She grinned and bolted for the door, hanging her coat up on the hook about the time the water started. Akira heard a little voice in her head reminding her to compose herself; she didn’t want to run to the bathroom after him. But that voice was drowned out as she ran for the bathroom. Kakashi was finally where she wanted him when she wanted him, she’d be crazy to miss out on that. 

She was positively delighted when she stepped into his bathroom and realized he had a large two - if not three - person tub. He was filling it with steaming hot water, his back to her. 

“Now, what could you possibly be doing with a tub so big?” She asked, remembering just enough of her manners to resist jumping him the second she closed the bathroom door. She leaned over the rim of the tub and tested the water temperature. 

“Dog baths.” Kakashi admitted, not looking at her, she was standing on his blindside. 

Akira laughed, the sound echoing in the tiled room. She walked around him, hand trailing over his back as she went, like he was a skittish horse she didn’t want to spook. 

“Not too hot,” she said, adjusting the faucet, her hand over his. 

He looked at her and smiled, letting her control the temperature. 

She adjusted the water, but steam was already filling the space.

Taking a breath she turned her back to him. “Help me get my bandages off?” She asked, looking over her shoulder at him. 

“Of course,” he said, his expression totally calm and collected again. But as she turned her head, she grinned; she could tell that he wasn’t nearly so unaffected as he pretended. 

Grabbing the hem of her shirt she pulled it off over her head, dropping it to the floor. 

Kakashi’s fingers were still rather cool, though the room was growing increasingly warm. He barely touched her though, skillfully unwrapping her in a professional manner which almost left her disappointed until she felt his fingers gently run along her skin, running parallel to the scratches Shizuka had left. 

“She got you pretty good,” he said, tracing all four marks.

Goosebumps rose along Akira’s skin and she nodded. “Unfortunately, yes.” 

But she didn’t want to think about that now; or how much they’d lost in that battle, or how much work they had waiting for them tomorrow. All she wanted to focus on was Kakashi, and his cool fingers running teasingly over her skin.

She reached over and stopped the tub before it got too full. “So,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Kakashi with a mischievous smile. “Does your invitation to a bath count as a move?”

Facing him, she slipped off her capri’s and underwear, letting him have a second to view her before she got into the tub, trying not to just jump in to cover for her embarrassment. What was it about Kakashi that tore down all her bravado and left her exposed - literally and emotionally? 

In her scramble to get in the tub, she forgot how low down the scratches went and she winced when they came in contact with the warm water. The initial sting hurt, but it would feel good soon. 

Kakashi shook his head. “No, that was just taking care of you. This is a move though.” 

He slowly stripped down to nothing, watching her, a satisfied smile on his face. As far as moves went this one was pretty good. And worth waiting for. His naked body was just as fine as she’d imagined it would be

“What do you think of your work of art?” He asked with a chuckle. 

“My work of art?” She grinned. “I like it very much. But I’d like it better closer.” She beckoned him with a crook of her finger.

He laughed as he stepped into the tub. 

Akira had a quick moment to decide if she wanted to be facing him or not. After a moment of indecision, she turned her back to him, hoping he’d actually wash her back as he’d promised. 

Kakashi chuckled as he sat down behind her, probably amused she’d turned around. She blushed in spite of herself. 

“You did promise to wash my back,” she reminded him with a glance over her shoulder. 

“Yes, I did.” His voice was soft and intimate, aided by the tiles in the room. 

He must have grabbed a cloth from somewhere and Akira winced as he squeezed water over her cuts. He was being gentle, almost reverent in his motions, and the sting quickly faded.

After rinsing off her cuts, he rubbed the cloth over her neck and around the tops of her shoulders. Akira smiled and tipped her head to the side for him. She was already regretting sitting with her back to him though. She was a growing bundle of nerves, waiting for him to turn this from communal bathing to something more. It felt like she’d been waiting forever for that to happen, how could he be so patient? 

She peaked a glance back at him and he met her gaze with a smirk. He was obviously teasing her and going slow on purpose.

“It’s rude to keep a lady waiting,” she said, looking forward again. 

“We’ve got all the time we need for once. I’m not going to spoil it by rushing,” he said, though he still sounded way too smug for her tastes. 

She stretched her legs out. “Just so long as the water doesn’t get cold,” she said. Though there was no fear of that, the room was still full of steam, and the water quite warm. 

“It won’t,” he promised as he brought the cloth around her and used it to begin rubbing her chest. 

She arched into his touch, pleasantly surprised when she felt his lips on her neck. “Kakashi-” She blushed when she found she had moaned his name. The echo in the room certainly didn’t help. 

He seemed to understand her because he gently put his hands on her waist and encouraged her to turn around and come forward, straddling his lap. 

On a scale of 1-10 Akira would say she rated physical intimacy in a relationship at around a 7; it was great, but it wasn’t that important. However, as she turned to see Kakashi’s face, the look he had made her reconsider her rating. He was looking at her with such eagerness and tenderness that it nearly took her breath away. 

She smiled at him, catching his mouth in a kiss. Who gave him the right to look so endearing? She wrapped her arms around him and purred as he continued caressing her, finding all her good spots in no time. 

Kakashi kissed her back, smiling as well. He put a wet hand in her hair, holding onto it as he pulled her even closer so their bodies were pressed together. 

She gave an impatient rock of her hips into him. 

Kakashi broke their kiss with a laugh. “I’m going to have to teach you about slow seduction,” he said, giving her nose a playful tweak. 

“Sure, later. Kakashi-sensei,” she teased with a bat of her eyes. 

“You little-” Kakashi laughed and Akira cut him off with another kiss. 

Finally, there were no more delays. Kakashi took her waist in his hands and Akira grinned as they joined at long last. 

As they moved, water sloshed around them and up over the walls of the tub. It felt so good to be with someone again. More than just  _ someone _ . With Kakashi. The way he looked at her robbed her of her breath and made her feel delightfully weak. Not to mention the way he moved inside her and the way his fingers caressed her, it was perfect. 

She was enraptured by his joyful smile shining back at her, mirroring her own grin and magnifying it a thousand times. Akira kissed him breathlessly, fingers carding through his silver hair. 

They reached the peak of their pleasure together and all too soon for Akira’s liking, both of them too tired and worn to make it last forever. With a happy, yet weary sigh she wrapped herself around him, laying her head on his shoulder. 

There was still so much she didn’t know about him, so much she longed to know. And again, she wondered how long he’d wanted this and forced himself to hold back for reasons she couldn’t fathom. Thankfully, they were here now, but she was going to have to fish the truth from him before long. One more thing she could add to the list of things she knew however, he was an excellent lover. 

“Don’t fall asleep,” Kakashi said, kissing her forehead. 

She smiled at him. “But I’m comfortable,” she said, cuddling closer to prove it. 

“You need new bandages and a proper bed,” Kakashi said, and she felt him pull the drain plug with his toes. 

“Mean.” Akira sulked, still holding onto him. She didn’t want to lose this lovely feeling so soon by moving. 

Kakashi just chuckled. “I was going to suggest a second round after you eat and sleep, but if I’m mean…” He teased. 

Akira lifted her head and kissed him. “This is a dangerous sign,” she said, smoothing back his hair that she’d made a mess of. 

“What is?”

“You’re already too good at managing me.” She laughed. “I can’t have that.” 

Now that the water was gone she let go of him and let him get out of the tub. He got up and grabbed his towel before passing her a fluffy guest towel. At least she hoped it was a guest towel and not the dog towel. 

“I’m sure you’ll manage just fine.” Kakashi smiled at her and leaned in to give her a kiss that made her toes curl. 

She grinned at him. “Just know, you’re in for a lot of trouble.” 

“I would be disappointed if there wasn’t any.” He smiled and got out his medkit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We also went over in word count this time but we hope you all approve. Finally resolving the UST!


	40. Funerals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Masaru

Time passed in a blurr for Masaru after the attack. At first, he felt everything, experienced everything with such heightened awareness that he was worried he’d go mad. He helped Emi however he could, sticking close to her as she tended to the wounded. The hospital was overtaxed, and Moriko wasn’t the only doctor that had been killed in the attack. Masaru did what he could; changing bandages, delivering medications and supplies, instructing those with minor injuries how to tend them on their own. The chaos was a mercy, it meant he didn’t have to think past his next task, and there was always another task. 

Fighting in the arena, Masaru hadn’t realized how devastating the attack was for the rest of the Village. Massive chunks of the border wall had been crushed, buildings had been turned to rubble, even the stone face of the Third Hokage was cracked. And then there were the dead. His mother and the Third Hokage weren’t the only casualties. By the end of the day, they still weren’t done tallying the dead and missing but if the initial estimates Masaru had overheard were correct, Konoha may have lost half of it’s fighting strength. 

Masaru had never really considered the cost of war before, beyond the obvious cost of human lives but as the last of the survivors were accounted for and the most grievously injured stabilized, Masaru’s attention turned toward the work everyone else had been doing. There was a frantic push to restore some semblance of order. Beds had to be found for the suddenly homeless, as well as food and water; water and sewer lines had been damaged in some sections of the Village, fires still smoldered in others. Walking through Konoha and seeing all the ways the battle had tried to destroy not only the people here, but everything that allowed them to live comfortably, shook Masaru to his core. 

After a couple days of frantically trying to get ahead of the chaos, the Village allowed itself to take a breath. The bodies of the dead had been collected, the fires had gone out, the worst of the damages repaired - at least with short-term solutions. Masaru finally had a moment to himself and he hated it. He hated going home to his empty house - Emi, of course, was still at the hospital. She was allowed to bury herself in her work, while Masaru had to come home and stare at the dishes in the sink. Dishes he’d promised Moriko he’d clean the second they got home from the third exam. Before he realized what he was doing, Masaru was sitting on the kitchen floor staring at Moriko’s teacup in his hand. It was her favorite, a little pink cup with hand-painted cherry blossoms. It was so delicate and girly, so unlike the woman Masaru thought of when he thought of his mother. He never thought to ask her why it was her favorite, now he’d never know.

Masaru wanted to cry, his throat was so tight and he could feel the tears prickling at his eyes, but they just wouldn’t fall. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, all the questions he wanted to ask Moriko running through his head to be met with the deafening silence of his house. His frustration grew with each passing second until he screamed, the sound echoing around the walls. It didn’t accomplish much more than chasing away the silence, but it was better than nothing. 

Masaru stood and set Moriko’s cup on the counter. There was no way he could stay here right now, no matter what Emi said about him trying to get some rest. He raced upstairs and showered quickly; it felt good to wash away the dust and sweat from running around the hospital all day; even if he knew he’d feel grimy again as soon as he walked down a soot covered street. After throwing on a clean pair of black pants and a dark purple sweatshirt - his favorite teal one was so covered in blood, he doubted he’d ever get it clean - Masaru headed for Kiba’s. 

The Inuzuka house was in chaos. It usually was. But this wasn’t the normal chaos of puppies, dogs, and ninja running around like wild. While the house had survived the attack, it had been seriously damaged and one of the kennels had been destroyed. Fortunately, none of the dogs had been inside at the time. 

Masaru barely made it to the front gate before Akamaru was bounding toward him, yipping. A fat orange tabby hobbled after the dog, trying to keep up. It had a bright pink cast on one of it’s legs but that didn’t seem to be slowing it down all that much. Masaru frowned; it looked like Kiyoko’s cat. 

“Masaru,” Kiba said, running out of his house. “Hey! How are -” He stopped short and looked away awkwardly.

“Could be worse,” Masaru answered Kiba’s unasked question. It really could be worse, but not by a whole lot. “How are things here?”

“Crazy,” Kiba said. “You know.”

Masaru nodded, bending down to scratch Akamaru. The orange tabby inserted himself between Masaru and Akamaru and started to purr. “Is this Momo?” Masaru asked.

Kiba nodded and grinned. “Yeah, Hana fixed him up. Kiyoko said he jumped a Sound-nin for her, tore his eye right out.”

“Damn,” Masaru said. Kiyoko had finally woken up that morning after being out for nearly two days. But despite checking in on her almost hourly when she was out, Masaru hadn’t yet found the courage to see her since she woke. He just wasn’t ready to answer any questions. “How’s she doing?”

Kiba shrugged. “Pretty good, I guess. She’s still pretty banged up, then she got mad at me because I wouldn’t tell her everything that happened during the fight.” Kiba shot Masaru a sheepish glance. “I didn’t tell her about, you know,” he shrugged again. “I didn’t know if you’d want me to or...?” His voice trailed off and it was Masaru’s turn to shrug.

“I don’t know,” he said. Masaru hadn’t told anyone about his mother yet. Everyone knew, except the people who were injured. Someone would have to tell Kiyoko, he just wasn’t sure he could get the words out himself.

“Hey, want to come help me watch the puppies?” Kiba offered. “We haven’t been able to let them run the yard and they’re getting to be quite a handful.”

“Yeah,” Masaru said, following Kiba toward the puppy kennel. “That sounds amazing.”

“Have you seen anyone else?” Kiba asked as they settled down and were immediately overrun by hyperactive fur balls.

Momo had followed them into the kennel and quickly asserted his dominance over the puppies. He crawled into Masaru’s lap and started purring. 

“Not really,” Masaru answered, looking down at the cat in confusion. He wanted to play with the puppies but he couldn’t bring himself to move the cat that may have saved Kiyoko’s life. “I’ve basically just been at the hospital. Naruto and Sasuke are there, and Kiyoko, of course. Sakura’s been in and out and I think I spotted Hinata and Ino once, but I haven’t had time to stop and chat.”

“Yeah,” Kiba said. “What about Shiori? Kiyoko was asking about her, I’m surprised she hasn’t visited her yet…”

“I don’t know,” Masaru said. He hadn’t seen Shiori since shortly after the attack. She’d been with Akira-sensei and Masaru had avoided them both. It wasn’t  _ really _ intentional, he just had things that needed to get done and he knew they’d try to talk to him. 

_ “It’s her fault that this is happening to you. I want you to know that. I’m hurting you in order to hurt her. She has to be punished for turning her back on us, but she isn’t here right now. And you are.” _

Masaru can’t help remembering Shizuka’s words as he thought about Shiori. He didn’t blame her, not for any of it, but he was a little afraid to see her again, to talk to her. She looked so much like Shizuka.

“Hey,” Kiba’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “You think they’d let us bring Momo to the hospital? I know Kiyoko would love to see him. I mean, I told her he was okay, but hearing it isn’t the same as seeing it.”

Masaru shrugged, tucking his concerns away back to the darker corners of his mind. “I could ask Emi, she’d probably say okay.”

Momo seemed to like that idea and purred louder. 

It was well past dark when Emi finally got home. Masaru had thought about making dinner, but all he managed was digging a few leftovers out of the fridge. They needed to eat them anyway, they’d be spoiled soon.

The pair sat in silence, neither of them touching the soba noodles. 

“Kiba wants to bring Momo to visit Kiyoko,” Masaru said as the silence got too heavy. 

“You can’t bring pets into the hospital,” Emi said. Her voice was quiet, like she was afraid of talking too loud and disturbing the house.

“Can’t you make an exception for Momo? He’s a hero.”

Emi smiled a little at that and Masaru thought it was the most amazing smile he’d ever seen. “I can’t let you bring Momo into the hospital,” she said. “But we’re planning on moving Kiyoko to a room on the ground floor tomorrow. So if you happen to walk by her window and the cat sits on the sill, I guess he’s technically not in the hospital.”

Masaru felt a little glimmer of excitement. That would definitely make Kiyoko happy.

There was a knock on the door and the two exchanged weary looks. “I got it last time,” Emi said.

There’d been a steady stream of people coming by to offer their condolences and support - and, Masaru thought, to take a peek at the grieving orphans - since word of Moriko’s death had spread. 

“Maybe if we ignore them, they’ll just go away,” Masaru suggested.

“Probably not,” Emi said.

Masaru sighed and pushed himself to his feet. The last thing he wanted to do this evening was nod politely and thank some random neighbors for their kindness. He slid open the door a bit more violently than normal and the person on the doorstep froze in mid motion. Shiori was standing there, bent over like she was about to set the pot in her hands on his doorstep.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, looking up at Masaru with wide grey eyes. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, I thought you might… It’s late, I’ll go.”

Masaru looked down at the pot she’d set on the step, it was the same soup pot Moriko had brought her less than a month ago.

“I’m not a great cook,” Shiori said softly, noticing where he was looking. “It won’t taste as good-”

She cut off with a squeak when Masaru rushed toward her and wrapped her in a hug. All the fear he’d felt at the thought of seeing her vanished in an overwhelming rush of gratitude and sadness.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice thick with tears. 

“You’re welcome,” Shiori responded, hugging him back as tightly as he was hugging her. 

“Masaru? Who is it?” 

Apparently he’d been taking too long and she’d come to see if he’d murdered the neighbors.

Emi froze when she saw Shiori, her dark eyes flickering from her, to Masaru, to the soup pot. 

“Hey,” she said softly. “Come on in, we were just about to eat.”

Shiori hesitated but Masaru pulled her inside before grabbing the soup pot.

“We weren’t about to eat,” he admitted as they walked toward the kitchen. “We were about to sit at the table for half an hour and stare at the food until it was stone cold.”

“That sounds familiar,” Shiori said with a weak smile.

“This smells good, though,” Masaru said, setting the soup on the stove to reheat. 

“You don’t have to eat it,” Shiori said. “Not if you’re not hungry.”

Emi pulled Shiori into a brief but tight hug before setting another place at the table for her. “Well, we can try at least,” she said.

They did try, Masaru even managed to get a few bites down. It was pretty good, despite Shiori’s uncertainty. Under any other circumstances, he’d probably have seconds. But he just didn’t have an appetite. Thankfully, Shiori seemed to understand.

“Kiyoko’s awake,” Masaru said after they’d given up trying to eat and Emi had gone to her room to catch a few hours of sleep before her next shift. She’d made Shiori promise to visit again soon.

“I know,” Shiori said. “I saw her this afternoon. She asked about you.”

“I need to see her,” Masaru said, his dread at the thought of telling her about Moriko rearing up again.

“I,” Shiori paused and sighed. “I told her about your mom. I’m sorry, I know it wasn’t my place but she’d heard some of the staff talking and it was driving her crazy-”

“No,” Masaru cut her off. “Don’t apologize. That’s,” he sighed, surprised at the level of relief he felt. “That’s really okay. I actually appreciate it. I wasn’t sure how,” his voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Really, thanks.”

Shiori nodded and Masaru was reminded that if anyone he knew could understand what he was going through right now, it was her. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, knowing it was a stupid question but still compelled it ask it.

Shiori shrugged. “Not really, you?”

“Not at all.”

“I’m so sorry,” Shiori apologized again. “For everything.”

“Thanks,” Masaru said, it was an automatic response but he actually meant it this time. “The funeral services are tomorrow,” he said, looking at the clock. He should probably try to get some sleep, even though he knew it wasn’t likely.

“I’ll see you there,” Shiori said, standing. 

“Yeah.” Masaru walked her to the door and watched as she headed toward her house. She did look a lot like Shizuka. The same grey eyes and long black hair, the same pretty face, but Shiori radiated a quiet kindness that Shizuka could never hope to copy. When Masaru looked at Shiori, he saw his friend and teammate; a person he’d trust his life to without a second of hesitation.

The last thing Masaru wanted to do was go to the funeral the Village had planned to honor those killed in the attack. He didn’t want to stand there - in the rain, because of course it was raining - and listen to people talk about sacrifice and honor and duty. But, he had to. Emi was going, so he was going. That was really all it boiled down to. If she’d decided to skip it, or had to work, there was no way Masaru would’ve gone without her. 

He and Emi met the Inuzuka family on the way and Masaru fell into step beside Kiba and Akamaru - absent the puppy’s new best friend, Momo; apparently the cat had been allowed to stay inside. 

“Hey,” Kiba said.

“Hey,” Masaru responded. “Emi said we could bring Momo by the hospital grounds later today, once they move Kiyoko to the ground floor.”

Kiba managed a brief grin before it faded back to a more somber expression. 

Ahead of them, Masaru watched as Hana took Emi’s hand, clasping it tightly as they walked.

Masaru didn’t remember most of the actual service, all he could focus on was the photograph of his mother, draped in black. It was her official hospital photo; she’d always complained that her hair looked messy, but she loved telling the story of how she’d been running around - delivering three babies and sewing up the foot of an Academy student that had gotten too excited during shuriken practice - when the hospital administrator had grabbed her and forced her to sit for a quick photo.  _ “That’s the difference between the priorities of an administrator and a practitioner. Here I am, bringing babies into the world and making sure children don’t bleed to death, but let me drop everything and take a picture.” _

Masaru smiled at the memory; his mother had - technically - also been an administrator, but she was always in the mindset of a doctor, far more ready to drop everything to heal someone than deal with bureaucracy. 

Next to him, Emi was leaning against Hana and Masaru glanced up at her face. She looked so tired; he knew she wasn’t taking enough time for herself. She slept less than he did, and probably hadn’t eaten more than a few bites in the last few days. Masaru couldn’t believe it had only been a few days. It seemed like a lifetime.

When the service ended, he stood around with Emi, accepting the condolences of people he barely knew. It was a tedious ritual and he was grateful when Akira-sensei finally dragged him away. He had spotted her at the ceremony, standing toward the back with Shiori and Kazuo. Masaru was happy to see that Kazuo had recovered, though he still looked a little pale.

Akira-sensei led him, Shiori, and Kazuo to a park nearby where a thermos of tea was waiting for them under a gazebo. 

“I don’t know about you,” Akira-sensei said, pouring them all tea. “But I needed a break from that.”

Shiori smiled at her, but it seemed thin to Masaru, like she was smiling so she wouldn’t cry.

“You always need a break from ceremonies,” Kazuo grumbled.

“If only I was as well behaved as you,” Akira-sensei said lightly before handing a cup of tea to Masaru. 

“I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but this will get easier,” she said once everyone was settled. “Eventually, thinking about them won’t just hurt. You’ll start to remember things they did that made you smile and the first thing you’ll feel will be happiness instead of grief. It will take time, but you will get there.”

Masaru looked down at his tea, then up at Akira-sensei. She was studying him closely, her blue eyes easily reading every minute expression that crossed his face. 

“In the meantime,” she continued. “We’ll be here for you.”

Kazuo shot her a dirty look and Masaru actually chuckled; maybe she was right.

  
  


Masaru didn’t even want to show his face among his fellow villagers, they all looked at him in pity, tried to talk about what happened. It was too much, too soon. 

Of course, Emi still insisted they needed to eat so he had been sent to the store. 

He looked around the food stands, nothing looking good, it all looked like it might make him sick or it would take too much energy to actually make it into a meal. 

“Masaru.” 

He heard his name called and he steeled himself, ready for more outpouring of condolences. Masaru turned around and sighed in relief when he realized it was only Yamanaka Toru. The muscular blond was covered in plant debris, he’d probably been working a shift in the flower shop. He wasn’t really cut out for that kind of delicate work. 

He’d gone out with Toru about a year ago, they’d been set up by Kiyoko, of course, though she’d been friends with Toru more than him at the time. Toru was just a bit too old for him. They were two years apart in age, which wasn’t going to be such a big gap in about ten years, but the difference between fifteen and seventeen had just driven them apart. But even though they’d broken up, Toru was still a really nice guy and sometimes even more than that. An idea which would make him blush to admit. But sometimes it’s what they needed. 

“Hey.” He smiled softly. 

Toru walked up to him, “I was thinking of bringing over some buns or something, but then I saw a line of people bringing food. Then flowers seemed odd and well… I didn’t mean to not give you something. I just…” Toru shrugged. Words weren’t really his strong suit either. Which was funny given how chatty his younger cousin was. 

Masaru sighed. “I’m glad you didn’t. It’s not that I’m not thankful for people’s kindness, but it’s a bit much.” And nothing really helped. 

Toru looked at him, those silvery green eyes of his seeming to know exactly what Masaru was thinking and feeling. 

He held a hand out to Masaru. “How about some companionship then?” He offered with a smile. 

Masaru quirked a smile, the most he could manage. “That would be nice,” he agreed, taking Toru’s hand. 

Toru led him back to his apartment which he had all to himself. Masaru smiled a little. 

“Emi is going to kill me for not shopping.” 

Toru chuckled. “You can have some of my groceries. I just bought some stuff.”

“Excellent.” Masaru nodded. 

Toru showed him inside. “Go sit down,” 

Masaru sighed as he melted into the sofa, ready to forget everything for a couple hours. 


	41. Questions without Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Shirori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry about the long delay between posts. I've started a new job and Static's schedule kinda blew up. We'll try to be more regular, but for now we're going back to posting every other week.

It wasn’t until the Third Hokage’s funeral that Shiori noticed the glances. At first, she’d been mistaking them for sympathy; for sorrowful looks that shifted away the moment she turned her eyes toward them. Those sorts of expressions were common in the Village now. People wanted to share their grief and fear, but didn’t want to be the first to broach the subject. But as Shiori stood there in the rain between Akira-sensei and Kazuo, she caught a young girl watching her. Their eyes met, and this time, neither looked away. The hatred in the girl’s eyes staggered her. 

Shiori forced herself to direct her attention elsewhere, but it didn’t help. Everywhere she looked, she saw pain. Even the stoic expressions of the most experienced jounin seemed to hold a grim fatigue. As she surveyed the crowd at the funeral, she watched the eyes of both shinobi and civilians turn toward her before flickering away. There was no pretending any more, now that she’d seen the hatred and rage in that little girl’s eyes, she couldn’t manage to see anything else. Every one of them that looked at her seemed to project a single thought: She’s a Kagemura, she’s our enemy, why is she allowed to walk free?

She almost bolted, but suddenly Kazuo’s hand was on her shoulder, holding her in place. She looked up, but his attention was focused forward, toward the portraits of the fallen. 

“Don’t let them see you flinch,” he said quietly, his lips barely moving.

Shiori frowned, had he noticed the looks?

“You fought to defend Konoha,” he continued, his face impassive but his voice surprisingly emotive. Shiori was used to flippancy and arrogance from Kazuo, not this sort of righteous anger. “You fought against your own clan and protected your comrades. Do not let them make you forget that.”

As he spoke, Akira-sensei put her arm around Shiori. It was a strange sort of hug, sandwiched between the Hayashi siblings in a way that was both comforting and protective; as if the pair were daring anyone to move against Shiori.

The evening was clear, all traces of the earlier rain gone as the sun finished its descent below the horizon. Shiori was surprised that they’d let her stay at the hospital so late. But Kiyoko already had half the staff wrapped around her finger, so maybe Shiori really shouldn't have been surprised. Kiyoko couldn’t help making people like her, no matter what the circumstance.

Shiori took a deep breath and frowned. She’d been hoping for the crisp, cool scent of evening; what she got was the lingering scent of destruction. The rain hadn’t managed to wash away the aroma of smoke and iron that lingered over the Village. The street lights that had survived the attack flickered on, leaving small pools of light on the sidewalk, separated by wide swaths of darkness. A mother and her son were walking toward the hospital, the boy was trying to jump from light to light. He came to a wide gap and took a running leap; had Shiori not been paying attention, he would have crashed right into her. Without thinking, she reached out a hand to steady him and he looked up at her. The smile on his face vanished the instant he recognized her and he jerked away, racing back toward his mother.

Shiori watched as the mother shepherded the boy across the street, her eyes trained on Shiori as if expecting her to attack at any moment. Watching the happiness in the boy’s face turn to fear stung Shiori; she was used to a level of mistrust from the villagers - specifically the older ones, and Academy students that had just sat through the lesson on the Kagemura rebellion - but this was worse. 

She continued toward her house, resisting the urge to slump and shrink into the shadows every time someone passed her on the street. It was early evening and there was a fair amount of traffic on the sidewalks; people nodded to those they passed, some offering each other small smiles or greetings. All they offered Shiori was, at best, a quick glance before hurrying on their way. By the time she neared her house, a knot of tension had settled in her shoulders. She glanced at her house, it had been undamaged in the attack - that probably didn’t raise anyone’s opinion of her - and though she had room to spare, no one who had been displaced had been willing to stay with her. 

“Shiori,” a voice sounded to her right and it took all her self control not to jump at the unexpected sound.

She turned and forced a smile when she saw Neji walking toward her; she didn’t fully understand the jumble of emotions running through her. Happiness to see him - she hadn’t had a chance to check in on him since the attack. Relief that he looked well. That strange nervous excitement she seemed to feel anytime she was near him. And over it all, a thin but noxious layer of fear. Would Neji look at her the same way he always had? Or would that gentleness be obscured now that he’d seen what she, and her clan, was truly capable of.

“Would you like to take a walk?” Neji asked, falling back into their usual pattern.

“Of course,” Shiori said quietly.

“Is something wrong?” He asked as they started walking toward the park near her house.

Shiori’s smile was more genuine this time, of course he’d noticed her tension. And of course he still cared enough to ask.

“I’m just being foolish,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

Neji frowned at her in confusion. “For what?”

“For doubting you,” she admitted. Shiori made it a point to be honest with Neji; she knew he valued candor and that alone was enough to encourage her to push past her uncertainty. “It’s been difficult, since the attack; many of the old fears about the Kagemura were proven to be more than rumor and people have reacted,” she paused, searching for the right word.

“Stupidly?” Neji supplied and Shiori laughed softly.

“I was going to say ‘with excessive caution’, but yes,” she agreed. “I don’t blame them, I intentionally reminded everyone what the Kagemura were capable of during my match in the third exam; and then my clan showed them what that devastation could look like on a larger scale. They’re right to be wary of me, I just,” she paused and sighed, it was easy to pour out her thoughts to Neji but she didn’t want to ramble. “I was afraid that you would only see me as a Kagemura, as a potential threat. I was foolish and I did you a disservice by doubting you.” She looked down at her feet, watching the sidewalk turn to grass as they reached the park. “I’m sorry.”

Neji reached out and took Shiori’s hand. “You have nothing to apologize for,” he said, gently pulling her closer to him and wrapping his arms around her.

Shiori felt the tension in her body melting away and she rested her head on his shoulder, burying her face in the crook of his neck. His arms tightened around her as she clung to him; her source of stability that wiped away all the complicated scenarios that were tying themselves into knots in her mind. When she was with him, those worries and questions didn’t seem as important, or maybe they just couldn’t stand against the quiet surety of his presence.

She opened her eyes as she felt his fingers on her chin, raising her head off his shoulder. There was a slight tremor in his hands and Shiori felt her breath catch as he lowered his face, brushing his lips against hers. 

She actually felt a spark; a tingle of electricity that raced down her spine and nearly made her giggle. Surely that was just her imagination; such reactions only happened in silly novels like the ones Kiyoko hid from her parents. She smiled and buried a hand in Neji’s soft hair, pressing their lips together once more. No, there was definitely a spark. 

She smiled up at him, content to stay wrapped in his arms for as long as he was willing to hold her. 

“Thank you,” she said softly. Though if she was thanking him for the kiss, or for believing in her, or just for being who he was, she wasn’t sure. Probably all of that and more. 

“You don’t have to thank me,” Neji said with a chuckle, his hand cupping her cheek. “In fact, I should be thanking you. I hope I can look out for you as much as you have for me.”

He looked away, a faint blush rising on his cheeks. 

Shiori ran her fingers through his hair, bringing his pale gaze back to her. “I feel the same,” she said, resting her head back on his shoulder. Her heart was racing, sending little jolts of excitement and happiness through her body with every beat. How could he make her feel so happy and safe when she had been so unsure and afraid?

“I want you to come to the compound for dinner,” Neji said, before quickly adding. “Or training. Or perhaps tea.”

Shiori raised her head and found that his blush had intensified.

He sighed and shot her a sheepish expression. “After the exam,” he paused and Shiori could see him trying to arrange his thoughts. The idea that she might make him as flustered as he made her appealed to Shiori. “I’ve had a chance to talk to my uncle, about… everything. We’re on better terms and I would like it if you felt comfortable visiting me.”

Shiori’s heart began to beat even faster; she could practically hear Kiyoko screaming ‘it’s a date!’ from the hospital. But, she didn’t want to assume. Neji could just be trying to cheer her up with an informal invitation. She ate dinner with Kiyoko and Masaru frequently, after all.

Neji chucked and kissed her forehead. “I know that look,” he said. “You’re thinking this through too much. I want you to meet my uncle because you are special to me,” he glanced down, embarrassed, before looking back at her with gentle affection in his eyes. “Very special,” he added.

There was a scary moment where Shiori was afraid her heart might burst out of her chest. “I’d love to come over for tea, or training, or dinner,” she said with a smile.  _ Or forever. _

“Good,” Neji said, his expression a combination of excitement and nerves that made Shiori laugh. 

“Though perhaps we should be cautious,” Shiori said, her tone teasing, even if the thought behind them was partially serious. “I don’t know if it would be good for the genius of the Hyuuga clan to be seen as so friendly with the scary Kagemura.”

Neji frowned; Shiori should have known he’d see through her joking tone and she could have kicked herself for ruining the cozy mood.

“Shiori, you’re one of us,” he said, his voice ardent. “You’re a first-rate kunoichi and Konoha is lucky to have you; if other people don’t recognize that, we’ll just have to change their minds.”

He spoke with such certainty that Shiori almost believed him.

“How?” She asked quietly, biting her lip.

“I don’t know, yet,” he admitted, a hint of unsurety flickered in his eyes before he regained his confidence. “But we’ll figure it out, together.”

The word ‘together’ sent a jolt through Shiori and she kissed Neji again. “Together?”

His blush returned and he looked down. “Together, as a Village,” his voice trailed off and his eyes flickered back to her face, trying to judge her reaction.

Shiori smiled. She thought she understood his meaning and she tucked back up against him again, holding him tightly and sighing; more content than she’d been in a long time. 

Shiori set a cup of tea in front of Masaru, he’d come to visit after helping Emi at the hospital for a few hours. 

“Kiyoko says hi,” he said, taking the tea from Shiori. “Kiba and I brought Momo by this morning.”

Shiori laughed at the thought. “I’m sure she was happy to see him.”

“Yeah,” Masaru nodded. “She got a little teary when she saw his cast, though.”

Shiori smiled, she could imagine Kiyoko, sitting on the hospital bed clutching the fat orange tabby as tightly as she dared - and as he allowed. 

“I’ll have to visit her later,” Shiori said; she’d been there yesterday afternoon but things had happened since then that she needed to tell Kiyoko about. She blushed at the memory and quickly turned her back to Masaru, using the pretense of making her own tea to hide her blush from him. 

“Emi’s thinking they’ll release her tomorrow,” Masaru said; either not noticing Shiori’s reaction, or deciding to ignore it. “She’s healing really quickly, Emi thinks it has something to do with how quickly she regenerates chakra.”

Shiori sat across the table from Masaru and smiled. “She’ll be up and running laps around us before we know it.”

Masaru groaned at the thought. “I just don’t understand how she has that much energy, all the time.”

“It has to be her sugar consumption.”

Masaru laughed and Shiori smiled. It was good to hear him laugh, even if it was more muted than it used to be. 

They settled into a companionable silence, sipping their tea, when there was a knock at Shiori’s front door.

“Um, let me get that?” Masaru asked, glancing toward the door nervously.

Shiori laughed and activated her shadow-sight jutsu. She clearly recognized Akira-sensei waiting on her doorstep, even if she wasn’t wearing her usual long black coat. “It’s just Akira-sensei,” she said, deactivating the jutsu again as she walked toward the door. 

“If you get stabbed again, I’ll never come back to your house, ” Masaru called after her.

Shiori was laughing as she opened the door and Akira-sensei looked at her in surprise. 

“And here I thought I was coming by to cheer you up,” she said with a little smirk.

“Masaru beat you to it,” Shiori said, gesturing for Akira-sensei to come in. 

“What a good teammate,” Akira-sensei said, ruffling Masaru’s hair. He swatted her hand away, though his glare was ruined by a small smile. “I suppose that means you two don’t want to come with me to the Intelligence Division, then?”

Masaru sat up a bit straighter in his chair, clearly interested but also a bit alarmed. 

“Why are you going there?” Shiori asked. “And why bring us?”

“Inoichi and I finished off the last of the genjutsu blocks on Kagemura Seijiro last night,” Akira-sensei answered. “I know you want to talk to him, though I can’t promise it will be enlightening or actually that cheering despite what I said.”

Shiori frowned. She did want to talk to him, badly. But she also wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his answers to any of her questions. Masaru glanced between her and Akira-sensei.

“It can wait,” Akira-sensei said with a shrug. “If you need more time.”

“No,” Shiori said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

“You coming?” Akira-sensei asked Masaru.

“Of course,” Masaru said, putting his teacup in the sink next to Shiori’s. 

The Konoha Intelligence Division was an intimidating building and not one Shiori had ever planned on entering - willingly or otherwise. Akira-sensei strolled right in like she owned the place, smiling at the man behind the reception desk. 

“Shimon,” she said, leaning on the desk. “I need the key to cell 15.”

“Absolutely not,” the man said, his long bangs falling into his face as he looked back at the magazine he had been reading.

“Shimon,” Akira-sensei repeated.

“Akira,” he said, not looking up at her.

“Come on.”

“Ibiki-san said you weren’t allowed to bring them,” Shimon said, nodding at Shiori and Masaru.

“Ibiki also said I wasn’t allowed to have another jacket,” Akira-sensei said, motioning to the dark blue tank top she was wearing. “But you and I both know that you’re going to requisition me one. And let me have the key to cell 15.”

Shimon glanced up at her and she grinned cheekily at him. 

“You don’t even work here any more.” The tone in Shimon’s voice was enough to let Shiori know that Akira-sensei had already won.

“But Ibiki wants me to come back, so all you have to do is tell him it’s all my fault, and it’ll be fine.”

Shimon sighed like a man who had lost an argument for the 100th time and handed Akira-sensei a keyring. 

“You’re the best.” Akira-sensei said, taking the keys from him. “Don’t forget my new jacket.”

“I hate you,” Shimon said, but he was smiling.

“That’s fine,” Akira-sensei responded, motioning for Shiori and Masaru to follow her down a hallway.

“We’re not allowed to be here?” Masaru asked, looking around like someone would stop them.

Akira-sensei shrugged. “Shiori has every right to talk to Seijiro,” she said.

“And I’m here for moral support?” Masaru asked.

Akira-sensei shot him an amused look. “Educational purposes.”

“And if we run into Ibiki?”

“Don’t worry about Ibiki,” Akira-sensei said, waving her hand. “He’s not anywhere near as scary as he pretends to be.”

Shiori and Masaru exchanged a look, they still remembered how very intimidating they found the proctor of their first exam.

Akira-sensei stopped outside a metal door and turned toward them. “Seijiro has been exceptionally cooperative, thus far,” she said. “But I cannot guarantee that it hasn’t all been a ruse to get you here.” She looked at Shiori with a serious expression. “Are you sure you want to talk to him?”

“I’m sure,” Shiori said. “I have questions and he might be the only one who can answer them.”

Akira-sensei nodded. “Some ground rules; don’t get within arms’ reach of him, he isn’t bound, but he is on some low-grade sedatives to limit his chakra generation. Anytime you want to leave, tell me and we’ll go. No questions asked. Masaru, keep your guard up.”

Shiori nodded and Akira-sensei unlocked the door.

Shiori’s eyes were immediately drawn to the man in the corner of the room; he looked younger than she’d been expecting, maybe a year or two younger than Akira-sensei. He looked up when the door opened and his grey eyes widened. “Shiori?” He said, half-rising from his chair before apparently thinking better of it and remaining seated. 

Shiori frowned, he looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him. 

“The last time I saw you was when they were bringing you here,” he said quietly. “You’ve changed. A lot.”

“I was seven,” Shiori said. “Of course I’ve changed.”

Seijiro smiled a little and shrugged. “Of course.”

Shiori glanced to her side, Akira-sensei and Masaru were standing by the closed door, letting her ask what she needed to ask, for now.

“Who did you kill?” Shiori asked, a little surprised with herself. She hadn’t intended on this being her first question. “To activate your yureigan.”

Seijiro looked down for a moment. “A member of the house guard,” he answered after a pause. “When Shou took power, he forced the house guard to execute dissenters. He wanted to see how many of us carried the potential to use the yureigan. Any member of the guard that refused, was executed in turn. I didn’t refuse.”

“Why not?”

Seijiro barked out a laugh. “I didn’t want to die. I still don’t.”

“So you murdered a fellow guard to survive?”

Seijiro nodded, studying Shiori with eyes too similar to her own. 

“What is Shou planning?”

“Long term? I have no idea,” Seijiro said. 

Shiori frowned and he raised his hands like he was warding off her displeasure. “I really don’t know. You know I don’t know,” he said, pointing at Akira-sensei.

“Tell her what you do know,” Akira said quietly, her tone almost gentle.

“I know he’s allied with Orochimaru because they both think they can use the other,” Seijiro said; he seemed eager to please Akira and Shiori wasn’t sure she wanted to know why. 

“What does Shou think he can get from Orochimaru?” Shiori asked.

“A better understanding of the Kagemura kekkei genkai. He’s given dozens of us to Orochimaru to experiment on, but I don’t know what they’ve managed to find out.” 

“And what does Orochimaru think he can get from Shou?”

“Immortality,” Seijiro said, his tone deathly serious. “He thinks our kekkei genkai is the key to extending his life indefinitely.”

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

Shiori was starting to get very tired of hearing ‘I don’t know’ from him. She sighed, trying to pull questions he might have the answer to from her mind. There were things he could probably answer, but even asking them would hurt.

“Who killed my father?” She asked finally, keeping her tone and expression as neutral as she could.

“Shizuka,” Seijiro answered. “It wasn’t quick, but he didn’t suffer, if that helps.”

“It doesn’t.”

Seijiro nodded and looked down at the floor. 

“And my mother?”

“Shou killed her.”

Shiori felt a wave of dizziness wash over her and she closed her eyes, waiting for it to pass. 

“And now he wants to kill me.”

It wasn’t a question, but Seijiro responded anyway. “He thinks killing you will make him stronger,” he said. “He’s convinced that he can absorb kekkei genkai from other Kagemura when he kills them.”

Shiori’s eyes snapped open, the absurdity of that idea momentarily shaking her out of her renewed grief.

“That’s why I’m here, Shiori,” Seijiro said, leaning forward in his chair as much as he could without actually standing. “If he isn’t stopped, he’s going to kill us all. Most of us never wanted anything to do with his scheme, we just wanted to survive. We thought, if we went with him, he’d let us live our lives away from Konoha and it’s restrictions.” Seijiro’s grey eyes flickered nervously toward Akira-sensei but he continued. “But he won’t. If he doesn’t kill us, he’ll just give us to Orochimaru to torment. We need help if any of us are going to survive.”

Shiori took a step back, away from Seijiro’s desperation. 

“Isn’t it your duty to protect the Kagemura?” Seijiro asked. 

Shiori clenched her jaw and turned toward Akira-sensei. Apparently the look on her face was enough to tell Akira-sensei that she was done and Akira-sensei unlocked the door, ushering her and Masaru out before following them. 

“What did he mean by that?” Masaru asked as Akira-sensei locked the door. “He can’t honestly expect you to protect the Kagemura from Orochimaru and your insane brother?”

Shiori didn’t respond and Masaru threw his hands up in frustration. 

“That’s suicide!”

“Giving my life for the Kagemura’s protection has always been a possibility,” Shiori said. Though she had never thought that promise might have to be kept in a situation like this. Even if she were willing to try, could the Kagemura even be saved at this point?

“You take us on the worst field trips,” Masaru said to Akira-sensei. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't Neji just a doll?!


	42. Strangers Arrive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Akira

Regardless of what she’d been telling everyone, Akira wasn’t ‘okay’. She’d seen war before, seen battle that had killed hundreds and leveled villages. Hell, she’d leveled a few houses herself, but it’d been years since destruction on this scale had come so close to home. It wasn’t just the rubble, or the scorched walls. It was the atmosphere. The forced cheerfulness as everyone tried to rebuild, acting like they hadn’t come within an inch of losing everything. And beneath that, the desperate frenzy of people reassuring themselves that they were, in fact, still alive. Akira chuckled a little to herself, she didn’t exactly have room to judge; she and Kakashi had been ‘reassuring themselves’ nightly. 

Akira shook herself out of her thoughts, forcing a small smile onto her face as she neared the Academy. Technically, it was her morning off. In an effort not to wear everyone out, some semblance of a schedule had been made for the active-duty shinobi, but it was a fragile thing. Enough shinobi had died in the attack that no one could really afford to sit back and relax. So, even though Akira didn’t  _ technically _ have anything to do, she still wanted to make her presence felt. Morale was a tenuous thing; sometimes, something as simple as seeing a familiar face, doing familiar things was enough to reassure people that they really were safe. That, eventually, everything would be okay again.

“Akira,” Iruka’s cheerful voice rang out across the school yard. “Good morning!”

Akira spotted him surrounded by students working to repair and repaint desks. The Academy hadn’t been seriously damaged, but this was an excellent way to keep the younger kids occupied - and feeling helpful. 

“Good morning,” she said, greeting them all with a cheerful smile. “You’re all working so hard, I’m very proud of you.”

The students grinned up at her. She recognized a few of them from her last year of teaching and she felt a surge of gratitude that they were alright.

“Do you mind if I borrow Iruka-sensei for a bit?” She asked.

Most of the students shook their heads, or yelled a chorus of ‘no!’ but one little boy looked between the two and grinned. 

“Ooooooh, Akira-sensei and Iruka-sensei want some alone time,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

A little girl next to him smacked him on the head. “Don’t be dumb,” she yelled. “Iruka-sensei’s in love with Takara-san.”

Akira burst out laughing as Iruka blushed furiously and yelled at the students to mind their own business and focus on their work. Akira motioned for one of the other instructors to take over supervision before dragging Iruka away; the raucous laughter of the students ringing behind them. 

“They love you,” Akira said, glancing back toward the students as she led Iruka toward a nearby tea house.

“They’re menaces,” Iruka grumbled, but he had a fond smile on his face.

“Yeah,” Akira hummed happily. 

“You know, it’s not  _ my _ morning off,” Iruka said as they sat down and ordered tea.

“Which is why we’re only having a brief break,” Akira responded; now that they were well out of earshot of the students, and the only ones currently in the tea house, Akira let her confident smile drop just a bit. “How are you?”

Iruka glanced around, then sighed. “Exhausted,” he admitted. “I don’t think I’ve gotten a full night’s sleep in a week.”

Akira nodded, smiling at the server as their tea was delivered.

“I heard your apartment was destroyed,” Iruka continued. “I’m sorry I didn’t offer you a place to stay, it’s just-” a furious blush rose on Iruka’s cheeks and Akira arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. “The second story of Takara’s bakery - the part she lives in - was damaged, so I invited her to stay with me,” he grew consecutively redder as he spoke and Akira grinned.

“Good for you,” she said. “And her.”

“Akira!” Iruka’s tone was admonishing but he was still smiling. “Have you been staying with Kazuo?” He asked, trying to shift the conversation away from himself.

“No,” Akira said with a laugh. “One of the windows in his apartment was broken and his notes are a complete mess.”

Iruka grimaced. “He’s going to be unbearable until he sorts them out.”

“Do you remember the time we sneaked into his room and stole one of his notebooks? He was on a rampage for days,” Akira said, shaking her head and chuckling.

“That was when we were - what, ten, eleven?” Iruka asked, laughing with her. “I think he still hates me because of that.”

“He hates everyone; doesn’t need a reason.”

Iruka chuckled. “I don’t know, I heard he punched a chunin that suggested Shiori should be run out of the Village, he seems at least a little fond of her.”

Akira smiled, Kazuo did have a soft spot for Shiori, though he’d deny it vehemently if anyone asked.

“If not with him, where are you staying?” Iruka asked. 

It was Akira’s turn to blush. “With Kakashi,” she said.

Iruka’s eyebrows threatened to disappear off his forehead as he arched them in surprise. “Oh really?” He said, trying for nonchalant and failing miserably. “How’s that been going?”

“Fine,” Akira said, taking a sip of tea. “Very fine.”

Iruka glanced around to make sure they were still before leaning toward her. “Details, Akira!”

Akira obliged, leaving out some of the more salacious details, but not many. “It’s odd, Iruka,” she said, leaning back in her chair once she’d finished recounting her exploits of the last few days. “No, odd isn’t the right word. But I-” Akira sighed and shot Iruka a vaguely annoyed look. “I think you might have been on to something, that day we spoke before the third exam.”

Iruka arched an eyebrow, curious, but waiting for Akira to continue.

“He is dearer to me than I’d realized,” she admitted, looking down at her tea. 

Iruka laughed and shook his head. “Akira, you’re great at reading other people, but you can be a real idiot when it comes to reading yourself.”

Akira shot him a glare and swatted at him from across the table. “Hey!”

Akira returned Iruka to the Academy after their tea; it had been a bit longer of a break for him than she’d originally intended, but no one commented on his absence. Everyone was giving each other a bit more leeway than they normally would. 

She sighed and headed toward the Hokage’s residence. Kazuo was there, working away. As soon as he’d recovered from Shizuka’s poison, her brother had immediately set to work organizing what remained of Konoha’s shinobi. He’d been the Hokage’s left hand for years; it was a secretive position - even for a ninja. No one, save Kazuo and the Hokage, knew everything he did. Even the Hokage’s advisors weren’t fully aware of his record. However, despite not knowing exactly what he did, most jounin knew the position he held, and the esteem the Hokage held him in. Kazuo certainly preferred to work from the shadows, but he was more than capable of rallying people when the occasion called for it. 

Akira paused when she spotted Kakashi in front of a sweets shop, leaning casually against the wall and reading one of his silly make out books.

“Is there some reason you actually read that in public?” She asked, crossing the street to join him.

“Because whenever I’m home there is someone distracting me from my reading.” Kakashi chuckled, not looking up at her.

“Well isn’t it more fun to actually be in makeout paradise instead of reading about it?” Akira said, relying on the noise of the busy street to prevent her comment from reaching unintended ears. 

Kakashi chuckled and looked up at her. “With you? Yes.” 

She grinned, “Are you busy now?” Technically she had several things to be getting on with… but she could spare a little break to relax. 

Kakashi’s eye slid over, glancing inside the restaurant. “I have a meeting soon.” 

Akira followed his gaze, seeing two men in black robes with red clouds on them. 

“So you two have come up for air?” Asuma chuckled and came up next to them. 

Kurenai elbowed him, “Asuma…” She sighed and rolled her eyes. 

“Looks like we’re having a little party.” Kakashi said, his voice neutral.

“I didn’t think you liked sweets.” Kurenai said to Kakashi. 

“I’m waiting for someone.” Kakashi shrugged. 

Akira noticed Kakashi glance back at the two men and she did as well. It had been a long time since she’d felt that chakra signature… she couldn’t be 100% certain, but she was sure enough that it made her nervous. 

The hair on the back of her neck stood up when Kakashi locked his gaze with hers, an understanding passing between them.

“I’m here. But I don’t like sweets,” a sulky voice said; Akira looked down and saw Sasuke. 

The men in robes rose from the table and walked away. Kakashi silently passed the message to Asuma and Kurenai and the pair continued their walk down the street. 

“Should I tell Gai you’ll meet with him later?” Akira asked Kakashi.

He nodded, “I’ll be there in a bit.” 

“You’d better not blow me off, Kakashi-sensei. And you’re buying,” Sasuke said arrogantly. 

Akira hurried off. It was Itachi, Kakashi had confirmed it. It had been years since she’d felt his chakra but there was no doubt if Kakashi felt it too. Knowing it had been him she suggested bringing Gai along, they would need his skills for sure. 

“Gai!” Akira found him at one of the training grounds - of course this is how he used his precious free time. 

“Akira,” he said with his trademark grin. “Here for a friendly spar?”

Akira smiled, there was something very endearing about Gai’s enthusiasm, even if he was a bit odd. “Unfortunately, no,” she responded, her smile fading. “We might have a problem.”

His mood immediately grew serious. “What sort of problem?”

“Uchiha Itachi has been spotted in the Village,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I sensed his chakra, but Kakashi confirmed it. Asuma and Kurenai are following him and the person he was with. Kakashi was going to distract Sasuke somehow,” she sighed and looked in the direction Irachi had gone in. “Asuma and Kurenai have no idea how to fight a sharingan user, we should hurry.”

Gai nodded and the two of them rushed off, easily finding their comrades’ chakra signatures and following them to the river. 

“Any suggestions?” Akira asked as they got closer to the chakra signatures.

“We don’t want to get caught in a genjutsu from his sharingan,” Gai said. “Watch his feet, use them to anticipate his movements.”

Akira sighed. “Easier said than done; watching the torso is an easier way to judge movements, but it’s too tempting to glance at his face then.”

Gai nodded and the two paused as they reached a small canal. Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma were there, standing on the water with two cloaked figures standing before them. Akira frowned, the shorter of the pair was definitely Itachi, but the other - what was Uchiha Itachi doing with one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist? She felt a jolt of fear as Kakashi fell to his knees and Kisame rushed forward.

“Go!” Gai said, vanishing.

Akira moved, trusting Gai to do his part as she placed herself, kneeling, between Kakashi and Kisame, supporting the silver-haired jounin as he slumped forward. Her heart raced in her chest, Kakashi didn’t look injured but something was clearly wrong. She sent a burst of chakra through his body, but there was no genjutsu to dispel. 

She flinched slightly at the sound of Gai intercepting Kisame with a kick that sent the Swordsman stumbling backward.

“Are you all right?” She whispered, searching Kakashi’s face for some sign of recognition. 

He didn’t answer as he lost consciousness and she became the only thing keeping him from slipping beneath the water. Akira’s throat tightened even as she tried to get control over her fear for Kakashi’s well-being. 

She glanced up, careful to avoid looking at Itachi’s face. Kisame was glaring at Gai who seemed entirely unconcerned as he told Asuma and Kurenai to open their eyes, and how to fight a sharingan user. 

Against her better judgement, Akira glanced toward Itachi. He was calm, utterly emotionless as he watched Kisame and Gai square off. His scarlet eyes flickered toward her and she looked away, her heart racing even faster. Akira was skilled with genjutsu, but she had no interest in testing her skills against an Uchiha. Especially not  _ that  _ Uchiha.

“We didn’t come here to start a war,” Itachi said to his companion. “Let’s go.”

Before Akira or the others could react, the pair were gone. 

“Well, shit,” Akira said, returning her full attention to the unconscious Kakashi in her arms. 

“They’re after Naruto?” Akira asked.

She, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai were all in Kakashi’s apartment, gathered around their friend’s bed and discussing the attack. The fact that Asuma hadn’t commented on Akira hastily kicking one of her shirts under the dresser showed just how concerned they all were. 

“It’s strange,” Kurenai said. “They were already in the village, it’s not like Naruto’s difficult to find.”

“Shh,” Gai said as footsteps sounded outside Kakashi’s door. The door opened and Sasuke came in; his mouth was open to say something - probably to yell at Kakashi for ditching him - but he stopped short when he saw the jounin gathered around his unconscious sensei.

“What’s going on here?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Gai said with a shrug.

Whatever Sasuke’s reply would have been, it’s drowned out by a voice yelling down the hall. 

“Is it true? Uchiha Itachi’s been spotted in the village?” Aoba asked, slamming open the door. “And he’s looking for Nauto?”

The silence that followed the jounin’s question was profound as a look of rage flashed across Sasuke’s face. Before anyone could stop him, he was gone, racing from the apartment in a fury.

“Idiot,” Kurenai muttered as the other jounin glared at the sheepish Aoba.

“We’d better go get him,” Akira said, standing.

“Akira, wait,” Gai said. “I’ll go. If Sasuke manages to catch up with Itachi before we can catch him, I have the most experience fighting against a sharingan user.”

Gai glanced toward Kakashi; his determination to beat his ‘eternal rival’ was what gave him all that experience.

“We can both go,” Akira said. “If it comes to a fight, leave the swordsman to me.”

Gai nodded and they moved to head after Sasuke.

“Hold on, you two,” Asuma said. “We can’t afford to have both of you running off; at least talk to Kazuo first.”

Akira glared at Asuma, he was right, but her brother would slow their progress considerably. “Then you two had better come as well, you actually talked to them.”

The four made their way to the Hokage’s residence; Kazuo was sitting at a small table next to the Hokage’s desk, reports spread across every available surface.

“You moved in quickly, this is almost as bad as your apartment,” Akira said.

Kazuo glanced up at her, his blue eyes sharp despite how little sleep she knew he’d been getting. “What happened,” he asked, easily reading the concern on each of their faces.

Akira sighed and outlined the chain of events, with additions from Asuma and Kurenai. When they were finished, Kazuo narrowed his eyes and pulled a scroll from the bottom of one of the piles on his table. He skimmed over it, his frown deepening. 

“You’ve heard of this Akatsuki organization before,” Asuma said, not bothering to make it a question.

Kazuo nodded, still focusing on the scroll. Akira didn’t like the look on his face; it was the same expression he got when too many coincidences came together and tried to create a new picture out of a puzzle he’d been working on. That expression always led to trouble.

“It’s a group of S-ranked criminals,” Kazuo said, finally setting aside the scroll. “We have alarmingly little information on their members, or their motives, but what we do know suggests that they could pose a serious threat.”

“To Konoha?” Kurenai asked.

“To the world,” Kazuo answered. 

Had anyone else said that, Akira would have accused them of being dramatic, but Kazuo didn’t exaggerate things like this. 

“Regardless, we need to go after Sasuke,” Akira said. She felt a need to look out for Kakashi’s students while he was unable to. 

“You also need to warn Jiraiya that the Akatsuki are closer than he thought,” Kazuo said, tossing the scroll he’d been reading to Akira. 

She unrolled it and skimmed it quickly; it was full of the limited information Jiraiya had on the group, including their intent to target jinchuriki.

“He’s taken Naruto with him to look for Tsunade,” Kazuo continued. 

Gai perked up at that. “Tsunade-hime? Is she returning to the Village?”

“If Jiraiya can convince her, yes.”

Akira glanced at Gai, she could practically feel the hope radiating off him. If anyone could heal Lee’s injuries, it would be Tsunade. 

“Gai,” Kazuo said. “Go after Sasuke and return him to the Village. Akira, go with him and once he has Sasuke, go and update Jiraiya. Take further orders from him.”

Akira and Gai nodded, hurrying from the room once they were dismissed. 

“We’ll need to hurry if we want to catch Sasuke before he reaches Itachi,” Gai said.

“We may have delayed too much already,” Akira responded. “The boy’s fast.” 

Gai nodded. “You may be out of the Village for some time if Jiraiya-san requests your backup, grab what you need and meet me at the gates.”

Akira nodded and headed toward Kakashi’s apartment, she didn’t like the idea of delaying any more, but she knew Gai’s suggestion was a good one. Kakashi was still unconscious when Akira returned to the apartment; a small part of her had been hoping he’d be awake, even though she knew it was a foolish hope. What had Itachi done to him? 

When she was finished gathering what she needed, she paused and sat on the edge of his bed. She had to hurry, but she couldn’t resist smoothing some stray hairs away from his face. “Please be awake when I get back,” she said softly. 

Akira and Gai hurried to find Sasuke before he got himself killed. It was infuriating - and heartbreaking - to watch him go down this path. Revenge had consumed more good shinobi than Akira could count and it was always painful to watch. They had all hoped that, under Kakashi’s wing, Sasuke might be turned away from vengeance. That he might turn his personal tragedy into a powerful drive to protect others from the same pain; as Kakashi had. 

Akira could well remember the sweet, if quiet, boy from her time teaching the youngest students at the Academy. Though Sasuke had changed over the years - and not, in Akira’s opinion, entirely for the better - he was still a precious former student. If he confronted Itachi now, he would surely be killed, and that possibility tore at Akira. Not just because of her affection for the student he had been, but out of her affection for Kakashi. Losing Sasuke like this would devastate Kakashi; he’d torture himself for years wondering what he could have done differently. Akira couldn’t let that happen.

Fortunately, Gai seemed as driven as Akira was to find Sasuke and Akira couldn’t help but suspect that Gai was using this mission as a way to channel his anxiety over Lee’s injuries toward something productive. The pair traveled quickly and soon found themselves in a small town. 

The sounds of a fight drew them to a hotel where patrons were rushing out of the building, yelling about fires and shattering walls. Akira paused just long enough to grab a fleeing woman and get a description of those inside; apparently an older man and his grandson had been attacked by a pair of sinister figures in black cloaks emblazoned with red clouds. 

As soon as Gai heard the woman’s hurried explanation, he sped away, easily outpacing Akira. She followed him, slower, but more cautious, and rounded a corner of the upstairs hallway just in time to see Gai kick Jiraiya in the face. 

Biting back a laugh, Akira moved past the shouting Sanin and the apologetic Gai toward where Naruto stood next to Sasuke. The young Uchiha was slumped against the wall, his arm bent at an uncomfortable angle. Akira felt her heart sink as she realized that whatever Itachi had done to Kakashi, he had done to Sasuke as well.

“Akira-sensei,” Naruto said, looking up at her with his bright blue eyes filled with frustrated tears. 

“It’s okay, Naruto,” she said, smiling as confidently as she could. “He’s going to be fine; we just need to get him to a doctor.”

“We need to go after them!” Naruto looked toward the hole in the inn wall that - Akira assumed - Itachi and Kisame had used as their exit. 

She grabbed the back of his jumpsuit before he could race away. “No.”

“But-”

“You couldn’t stand a chance against them,” Jiraiya-san said with a shake of his head as he walked toward them.

“Then what are we going to do?!” Naruto shouted. “We can’t just let them go! Look what those bastards did to Sasuke!”

Akira smiled softly; Naruto probably didn’t even realize how much Sasuke meant to him. He’d definitely deny being this worried later if it was mentioned.

“The best we can do now is get Sasuke back to Konoha,” Akira said. “To the hospital. Running after those two wouldn't do anyone any good.”

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms, clearly unhappy, but at least no longer pulling against Akira’s hold on his jacket.

Gai picked up the unconscious Sasuke and the group quickly left the inn; it wasn’t likely that Itachi or Kisame would be back anytime soon, but they would certainly be after Naruto again. Akira pulled Jiraiya aside as Gai distracted Naruto with stories of his training regimen with Lee. 

“Gai has been instructed to bring Sasuke back to Konoha,” Akira said quietly. “But Kazuo has instructed me to be at your disposal, if need be.” She glanced at Naruto, unwilling to speak too openly about the threat the Akatsuki posed to him.

Jiraiya nodded, his expression serious. “We didn’t think they’d come this quickly. Still, I think it’s best if he and I go this one alone. You’re going to be needed back at the Village; Kazuo can’t spare you and he knows it.”

Akira frowned; Jiraiya wasn’t wrong, but she was worried about Naruto. She wanted to bring him back to the safety of the Village. Or, more accurately, she wanted to be able to keep an eye on him. But he could learn from the Sannin, and there probably was no safer place for him than at Jiraiya’s side. 

“Be careful,” she said before they rejoined Naruto and Gai right as Gai offered the hyper blonde a garish green jumpsuit.

“You are not wearing that,” Jiraiya said, disgusted.

“Don’t you worry Gai-sensei!” Naruto said, ignoring Jiraiya and continuing the conversation he’d been having with Gai. “I’ll find Tsunade-san and save everyone,” he continued proudly. “Believe it!” 

Akira chuckled at Naruto’s bravado and waved him and Jiraiya off before turning to Gai.

“Let’s get him home,” she said, looking at Sasuke from where he rested against Gai’s back. She smoothed back Sasuke’s hair, he looked far too young to be dealing with this. At least she could bring him home; then she’d just have to trust Naruto to keep his word and bring Tsunade back.

As she and Gai headed back to Konoha, Akira couldn’t help hoping that she’d arrive home and find Kakashi lounging on his couch, reading one of Jiraiya’s silly books. They deserved some good news for once, didn’t they? 


	43. We are spies!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Kiyoko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry we've gotten a bit sporadic with updating. The holiday rush is killer! Hope everyone is safe and sound!

Being in the hospital was the worst thing next to nearly dying because it was terribly boring. In total she’d spent two days unconscious, two days recovering and then sent home to be on bed rest. At least at home she had her family around more, but bedrest was not really fun. To make it easier for Kiyoko to recover her family had taken apart the bunkbed and given Kiyoko her own room, moving Ayane to the attic. It was lonely by herself in her own room, but also exciting since it was the first time she’d been able to have her own space. Ayane had been a little shy around her since the attack which was probably because of seeing all that violence. It hurt, but Kiyoko hoped that Ayane would warm up soon. 

Kiba had visited her more than anyone. In fact, the second day she’d been awake he’d been kicked out of the hospital for kissing her a little too much. Kiyoko blushed happily as she remembered. The only downside of that had been Dad sent Kiba away after he’d helped get Kiyoko settled at home. 

“He’s welcome to come back and visit with you when you’re well enough to be downstairs, but no boyfriends in the bedrooms.” He said, looking even more embarrassed than Kiyoko and Kiba. 

Kiyoko looked up at Kiba, “Boyfriend?” She smiled happily. They hadn’t really ever said as much. 

Kiba blushed, his red marks on his cheeks barely distinguishable anymore, “Sure!” He agreed before he just about ran out of the house. 

Iruka-sensei had visited her, saying she was a hero for saving so many and fighting so bravely. But Kiyoko didn’t feel like a hero. She felt lucky, and it was a cold comfort. 

Of course to be a shinobi one needed a degree of luck, but to rely on luck alone was getting dangerous. She’d barely scraped through the second round of the chunin exam by luck, then her fight with that sand-nin… If Momo hadn’t jumped in, if she’d fallen a few inches to the right, she would be dead. 

Iruka-sensei had told her she was getting stronger, more able, but it didn’t feel that way. Masaru had fought off dozens of bad guys, then nearly killed the scariest lady ever. Shiori had fought all day like the other two and walked away with only some minor injuries. 

She lay on her back, using a small stream of wind and chakra to keep a rubber ball floating in the air over her face. Technically she wasn’t supposed to train for another couple of days, but she assumed that meant physical stuff. She was working on more delicate chakra control, and working with her wind release. 

Momo was curled up on the bed with her, he’d been milking his hero achievements and getting extra snacks and treats from anyone he could. So he was laying out now with an upset stomach, grumbling to himself. 

Kiyoko chuckled and stroked his tail, but got distracted from her task and barely grabbed the ball before it fell and broke her nose. 

“Maybe I should use a stuffed animal.” She laughed before tossing it up in the air and trying again. 

“You’re supposed to be resting.” Masaru said with a sigh. She looked up excitedly and grabbed the ball just in time again. 

“Hi!” 

Shiori and Masaru came and sat on the end of her bed, she scooted over to make room for them, beaming. 

“Does dad know you’re here?” She asked. 

They nodded and laughed.

“I promised your dad I’m gay so he said it’s okay for me to be up in your room. Apparently Kiba is now banned from here as well as the hospital?” He grinned. 

Shiori sighed dramatically, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” She said to Kiyoko. 

Kiyoko giggled and told them all about it. “And now we’re dating officially so that’s really nice.” She grinned. 

“Lucky.” Shiori sighed. 

Kiyoko smiled at her, “You’ll get there.” She promised. “And Masaru, I’ve been making a list of new people to set you up with.”

Masaru blushed a little. “Well, Toru and I might try going out again. He’s been pretty… nice to me.” 

The way he said nice had Shiori blushing and Kiyoko laughing. “Oh really?” She raised her eyebrows. “That’s nice.” 

Masaru grabbed a pillow and hugged it but instead Momo hurried into his lap. “Well a lot has changed in the last year so maybe we can get along more now.” He shrugged.

“He said you said he was boring when you broke up with him.” Kiyoko laughed. She’d heard all about it from Ino. 

He frowned, “I don’t remember that.” He shrugged and started petting the cat in his lap. 

Shiori chuckled, “Oh? Or you’ve let yourself forget for a little  _ nice  _ time?” She teased.

Masaru blushed and Kiyoko high fived her friend. 

“You girls are mean. No more relationship talks.” Masaru chuckled and shook his head. 

“Fine.” Kiyoko laughed. “So how is the village?” 

They both grimaced and gave her the sad outlook. The trouble wasn’t so much the damaged buildings, though that was bad, or the trouble with how they got in, no, the real trouble was the shortage of able bodied shinobi. 

“But it means more missions, right?” Kiyoko said, trying to find a silver lining. It felt like all she’d been doing was training. Well… right up until nearly dying. 

“Yeah, we’re both busy around town helping out for now.” Masaru nodded.

Kiyoko sighed. She knew that she was holding the team back, without her in better condition they couldn’t go out on a real mission. 

“I’ll heal up soon. I promise.” She smiled at them. 

Shiori patted her leg, “You’re already healing really fast. I mean, you’re no Naruto, but you’re kinda freaking Emi out. So don’t worry about it.”

Masaru nodded, “Just follow the doctors’ orders. We’ll be on missions before you know it.” 

Kiyoko smiled at them and then bit her lip. “I came really close to-” She sighed. “I promise I’m going to keep training so I’m not a burden to either of you.” 

They exchanged a look and Shori then gave her a comforting pat and Masaru shook his head.

“It could have been any one of us. You fought hard and you did good. Don’t worry about it.” Shiori said. 

Kiyoko nodded and tried to take the words to heart. But it was hard when she still felt like she’d let the team down. 

“Do either of you have… dreams?” Shiori asked softly, changing the topic. 

Kiyoko felt a jolt, of course she’d had dreams. More like nightmares. The dead, those she’d killed, it seemed to come to her every night. She had done her best to ignore them but when Shiori brought it up she eagerly leaned in. “Dreams like… dreams?” 

Masaru looked a little pale suddenly and nodded but didn’t say anything. 

“I’m sure it’s natural but…” Shiori frowned. 

“We just have to ignore them.” Kiyoko said with a flip of her hair. Mom and Dad certainly never seemed plagued with nightmares. And Akira-sensei probably didn’t go around being worried about dreams. “They’ll stop before long.” Kiyoko said. 

The other two nodded but the mood had definitely plummeted. 

“Hey, downstairs is a box of cookies. Think you two can sneak down and steal it for us?” She grinned at her teammates and they both accepted the mission. 

Three days later they were called up to the Hokage’s office which was being run by the elders. But handing out assignments, of all people, was Kauzo. 

Kiyoko had just gotten her doctor’s approval to be fit for duty and already their team was being called up. It felt good to finally be helpful but it was also scary. Scary to be a killer, scary to get hurt again, scary to be left behind. 

The attack on Kakashi-sensei was kept pretty hush hush around the village, and even with all her gossiping skills Kiyoko had trouble finding out what happened. But she knew it couldn’t be good. 

She stood at attention in front of Kazuo, he seemed quite happy to be bossing everyone about and passing out assignments. 

“Your team did passably well in the attack, Akira.” He was saying, looking at a stack of papers. 

“Nice of you to notice.” Akira rolled her eyes. 

“But that’s not what you want them to do. It’s not what they are really made for.” He said. “Let’s put them on this.” He picked up a scroll with an A-rank on it. 

Kiyoko’s eyes widened, before the battle they’d been doing D and C rank missions.

“It’s only A because of the subject matter. All the content is B-rank. I think they’ll be able to handle it.” He said, opening it. 

Kiyoko felt a bit of excitement fill her, she was glad that he thought they were worthy and trustworthy. 

“A group traveling back to the village thought they saw two Akatsuki in a nearby village. From the timing it could be that they are Itachi and Kisame. We need to know what they are doing and if they are staying close by. We need all the information you can get without engaging them. You must be back in a week and no more.” He said. 

Masaru and Shiori looked eager and Akira frowned a little. 

Kiyoko looked between them all and then back to Kazuo. “Excuse me, Kazuo-san, who are the Akatsuki?” She asked. 

He looked at Akira and then back to Kiyoko. “They’re a group of rogue shinobi. Highly dangerous and highly effective.” He said.

She frowned, wondering if she was more worried about what he’d said or the things he hadn’t said. 

Akira looked at her students and made a little shooing motion. “We’ll meet at the gates in an hour.” She said before she turned on her brother. 

Kiyoko would much rather stay and listen, but Masaru and Shiori took hold of her hands and pulled her from the room with them. 

“We have to hurry.” Shiori said, “You can bug Akira-sensei about it later but for now we need to pack.” 

“Don’t forget some casual clothes to blend in.” Masaru said, looking at Kiyoko’s fuzzy bright pink tunic sweater. 

Kiyoko rolled her eyes. “I know.” She said and waved to them before running home. 

“I wish you didn’t have to go.” Ayane said. 

“I know. But I’ll have fun and Mom’s home so you won’t starve.” Kiyoko said, rolling up a pair of leggings to take with her. 

“Yeah, for now. But all the shinobi are busy. I’ll be left alone soon.” Ayane sighed and pulled Nana into her lap. 

“You’re nearly thirteen, you’ll be fine.” Kiyoko laughed, knowing her sister was just sulking because the art studio had been damaged and work was slow to rebuild ‘non-essential’ buildings.

“Are you going to be doing something dangerous?” She asked. 

“Ahh… Not really. Just some surveillance and intel gathering. Akira-sensei says our group is made for it but it’s our first time to really experience it outside the village.” She grinned happily. 

As she reached for her traveling boots she felt a twinge in her back and she winced. 

Luckily Ayane was playing with the cat and didn’t notice. Kiyoko was technically fit for duty, but she wasn’t totally recovered apparently. 

She strapped her sword onto her back, now used to wearing a braided bun on the left of her head just for the sword. 

“Love you.” She kissed her sister's cheek and ran out the front door. If she hurried, she'd have time to find Mom to say goodbye. 

Kiyoko barely made it to the gates by the time the hour was up. 

“For the second fastest genin, one would think you would have beat us.” Masaru sighed, crossing his arms over a nice dark blue sweatshirt. 

Kiyoko laughed. “I’ve been around this city three times, you have no idea. Saying goodbye is hard.” She said, a little winded.

“You beat Akira-sensei so I guess you’re fine.” Shiori giggled, she was wearing a black dress. But it was cuter than her sad grey dresses so Kiyoko didn’t say anything. 

“She barely beat me I’ll have you know.” Akira-sensei said, appearing from nowhere. She was wearing a new Interrogator’s jacket, looking very pleased with herself. 

Kiyoko grinned at her. “What did you and your brother talk about? Was it us? Was it that scary group? Why is he in charge? What’s his actual role in this village? I don’t know about him at all and my parents won’t say if they know or not.” 

Akira laughed, “It’s a long walk. Let’s space the questions out.” She said as she headed from the city with them. 

“You know she’s not going to answer anything, don’t you?” Shiori laughed softly and whispered to Kiyoko.

“Oh she will.” Kiyoko grumbled. 

Sadly, by the time they made it to the village that night Kiyoko hadn’t managed to get anything out of Akira-sensei. 

As they approached the village she stopped them and reminded them of their goal, warning them not to use jutsu because, given who they were after, it would blow their cover and to stay in groups of two at least. 

“Kiyoko, that sword is a little obvious.” Akira pointed out as they all started getting their disguises on. For the most part it just involved removing their forehead protector from sight. It felt odd to be without it on her arm, but Kiyoko knew it was for the best. 

“I know. Ten-Ten has been visiting me and helped teach me sealing. She is excited there is someone else who at least knows how to handle one of her favorite weapons.” She said, taking out a scroll. 

Masaru frowned at her, “That doesn’t sound like it was restful.” 

Kiyoko chuckled and stuck her tongue out at him. “I thought you weren’t the group medic.” She teased. 

He huffed and took off his ninja tool belt, storing it in his bag, “It’s not my fault if you end up taking longer to heal.” 

Kiyoko sealed up her sword and put the scroll away, grinning happily. “I’m fine.” She assured Masaru. 

Masaru looked at her closely and then nodded with a smile, accepting her assurance. 

Looking normal as they could, they entered the fishing village where apparently two of the most dangerous people in the world were. 

“Kiyoko, come with me we’ll get a hotel room, Masaru and Shiori you go off and find some food.” She gave the other two some money and smiled at them. 

Masaru and Shiori grinned and took off. Kiyoko watched them with a touch of envy. The two had bonded more since Masaru’s mom's death. Which was good, but it was also weird to wake up and find the group dynamic had shifted. 

Akira-sensei put a hand on Kiyoko’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, you’re still the group favorite.” She chuckled. 

How Akira-sensei always knew what they were thinking was a little concerning. But Kiyoko supposed it had to do with work on the Interrogators Force. 

“But sensei,” Kiyoko smiled up at her innocently, “Everyone knows that Masaru is your favorite.” 

Akira-sensei blushed, “Don’t talk crazy.” She looked away. “Now, let’s find a place to stay.” 

Kiyoko giggled and followed her. Of course they were looking for a room, but they were keeping their ears and eyes open too. Everytime she stopped to look at some local craft stall she was trying to find out information. 

In a way, Kiyoko realized she really was made for this. Striking up easy conversations with people and making them at ease while she learned things they normally wouldn’t say, it had been one of her hobbies since she was small. In the past, of course she just wanted to learn who had a crush on whom. But now it was far more important. 

She happily chatted with everyone and by the time they got to the hotel she was pretty sure she could pass for a local. It surprised her how easily it came to her. True she hadn’t found anything that helpful… but just knowing she could find out things was nice.

Kiyoko grinned at Akira-sensei and her sensei chuckled. “Yes, you’ve done well.” She said and patted Kiyoko’s head. 

Kiyoko giggled, “It feels good.” If this was an A-Rank mission she’d rather have more of these than anything else. It was much better than fighting. 

Akira-sensei smiled at her. She ordered two rooms and they went and put their stuff up in their room. Akira-sensei booby trapped their bags and they left again, needing to check in with the other two. 

Sadly they struck out in the first town they had come too and they’d had to travel on to another nearby village to see if they could learn something of use. 

Unlike the cute little fisherman town, the next town was practically deserted during the day only to wake up at night. Lots of people coming and going from bars and other places Kiyoko had no desire to examine more closely. She sighed in frustration. She’d been much more comfortable talking with the little old ladies in charge of fruit stands.

Masaru seemed to be comfortable though and he smiled at her. “Let’s go into a bar.” He suggested.

She nodded, curious to see if they’d even be let in. In the village everyone knew they were too young. They went inside, having no trouble getting a seat and Kiyoko smiled as she looked around. 

Masaru calmly ordered some drinks for them and Kiyoko grinned at him. 

“You seem really used to this sort of thing.” 

“Nonsense.” Masaru blushed a little, “It’s just about attitude.” 

“Uh huh.” She giggled. 

They sipped their drinks, keeping their ears open. 

“Let’s mingle.” He suggested after a bit. He picked up his drink and walked off, not too far away however. 

Kiyoko sat and sipped her drink, not used to the alcohol. She couldn’t drink too much, she needed her senses sharp, but she had to at least keep up the pretense. 

“Well hello there.” A man reeking of alcohol approached her. 

He was wearing the clothes of a traveler, a wealthy merchant perhaps. She appraised him with a calculated eye. 

“Hello.” She smiled. Perhaps on the road he would have heard something about these creepy Akatsuki. 

He took Masaru’s seat and started talking to her, bragging about his time on the road and his experience with women. It was pretty laughable but Kiyoko kept her smile friendly. She did make eye contact with Masaru once and he rolled his eyes then chuckled. 

“You know, I even saw some creepy guys on the road once, with these black and red robes. Girls like you shouldn’t risk going out with people like them around.” The drunk was saying. 

Kiyoko looked at him eagerly, leaning across the table. Finally some information that she might need. She grabbed his hand, “Yes?” She asked excitedly. 

He looked at where she’d taken his hand and he smiled. “You know there’s a shooting star outside. Let’s go.” He said, standing up with a wobble and taking her hand. 

She couldn’t help but frown. If she wasn’t a shinobi she’d probably be in trouble if she stepped out with him. If she turned him down no doubt he’d try it on someone else. Technically she shouldn’t… but what Akira-sensei didn’t know would be fine. 

She quickly changed her frown into a smile and nodded. Letting him put his hand on her shoulder she left the bar with him, giving Masaru a little nod first. Hopefully he’d understand and not come racing after her. 

“But who are these scary sounding men?” She asked him as they walked out to the alley behind the bar. 

Unfortunately he didn’t feel like answering more questions. He reached for her soon as they were alone, grabbing her somewhere she didn’t want to be grabbed. 

She glared at him and grabbed his wrist, pinching and twisting it as she pushed it away from her. He yelled in surprise and she kicked his legs out from under him, sending him to the ground. He wailed as he lay with his face in the dirt and she twisted his arm around his back, pressing it up and stepping on his other hand with her foot. 

“It’s not nice to grab women.” She said, pressing his arm up more, feeling the joints cracking and straining. 

“Sorry!” He shouted, flailing a little under her, but the alcohol in him stopped him from putting up anything like a real fight. 

“If you do it again I’m going to come back and break your arm off. Understand?” She said, giving his wrist a twist. 

“Yes!” He shouted. 

“Good.” She jumped off him and quickly tried to melt back into a shadow. But Masaru was already in her hiding spot, giving her a look.

The drunk guy ran off with a scream like he’d had the scare of his life. 

“I needed to do that.” Kiyoko said with a frown at her partner. 

“Sure… did he actually have information or not though?” Masaru pointed out she’d sent their best lead running for the hills. 

“Is everyone okay out here?” A man ran back into the alley. He’d been in the bar as well and Kiyoko remembered him laughing with his friends.

She stepped out, looking scared. “He tried to hurt me!” She sniffed. 

The man cursed and looked around, “You have to be more careful. Too many strangers around. It was just last week that man with the scorpion tail was in town.” 

“Scorpion tail?” She asked confused. 

He nodded, “Two strangers in black robes with red clouds. I saw them nearly kill the art gallery owner and then each other. Sasori and Deidera, I heard them call each other. But that doesn’t matter. You need to get back to your house safely. I’ll walk you.” He offered.

Kiyoko nodded and let him walk her to the hotel, Masaru following silently. So, there had been Akatsuki members here, but not Itachi and Kisame. Some other people. Just what was this group? She frowned. They needed to find Akira-sensei.


	44. Frenemies?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV this chapter is Masaru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2021 everyone!

“Sasori and Deidara,” Kiyoko said, bursting into the room where Akira-sensei and Shiori were waiting for them. “The Akatsuki that were spotted here were called Sasori and Deidara.”

“What did you say?” Akira-sensei asked, her voice sharp.

“The Akatsuki that were spotted here were called Sasori and Deidara,” Kiyoko repeated, quieter than before, as if Akira-sensei’s reaction had taken her by surprise.

“Are you positive those are the names you heard?”

Kiyoko nodded.

“We met a local at the bar,” Masaru said, ignoring Akira-sensei’s pointed look at the mention of where they’d been. “He said these two guys in black robes with red clouds had attacked the owner of an art gallery; they called each other Sasori and Deidara.”

“When did this happen?”

“Last week,” Kiyoko said. “He didn’t say more.”

Masaru had never seen Akira-sensei so still as she was in that moment; it was as if every muscle in her body had tensed as she fought the urge to race from the room and chase down the two Akatsuki members. 

“What bar were you at?” She asked finally. “And describe the man you were talking to.”

Masaru told her as much as he could, including his suspicion that the man had gone back to his own house after escorting Kiyoko back to the inn. 

“Stay here,” Akira-sensei said, her voice so cold that even Kiyoko didn’t dare object. “I’ll be back soon.”

Before they could respond, she was gone and the three shared confused looks.

“Is it just me, or does she seem more upset now then when we thought we were following those other guys?” Kiyoko asked.

“She’s definitely more upset now,” Masaru said. “It doesn’t make sense, Uchiha Itachi is one of the most wanted criminals in our bingo book,” he continued, thinking back on all the times Emi had let him read her copy of Konoha’s book of individuals that were deemed dangerous enough to ‘kill on sight’. 

“Were there any entries on this Sasori or Deidara?” Shiori asked. 

“Maybe,” Masaru answered with a shrug. “They sound vaguely familiar but I can’t remember any specifics.”

“Kazuo did say that the members of the Akatsuki were rogue ninja,” Kiyoko said. “Makes sense that there would be entries for them.”

Masaru nodded. “I’ll ask Emi if I can borrow her book again when we get back.”

“Or we could ask Akira-sensei,” Shiori pointed out. “Either for her own bingo book, or to just tell us about them.”

“Easier said than done,” Kiyoko said and Masaru grinned at how pouty she sounded.

“All your interrogating and she didn’t tell you anything, did she?” He asked with a chuckle.

“Not a damn thing.” Kiyoko sighed dramatically and flopped down next to where Shiori was sitting. “I even asked her about the rumors that she and Kakashi-sensei were together and she didn’t even bat an eye.” She huffed and crossed her arms.

“They’re definitely together,” Masaru said, joining his teammates around the small table in the center of the room.

“What makes you so sure?” Shiori asked.

Masaru smirked. “They’ve been dancing around each other forever, haven’t you noticed?”

Shiori shrugged and Masaru rolled his eyes. She was hopeless. He and Kiyoko were probably going to have to step in soon if she was going to have any hope of actually making something happen with Neji.

“Come on, Shiori,” Kiyoko said with a laugh. “It’s pretty obvious they’re attracted to each other. And now that Akira-sensei’s apartment has been destroyed, I’ve heard that she’s staying with Kakashi-sensei.”

“A lot of people are hosting others who had their homes damaged or destroyed,” Shiori said.

“But very few of those people have that much tension between them and their new guests,” Masaru said with a smirk.

“They’d be such a cute couple,” Kiyoko said with a sigh. “Kakashi-sensei is certainly handsome.”

“How can you tell? We never see his face,” Shiori said.

“Is Neji’s face the only thing you find handsome about him?” Masaru asked, feigning innocence.

Shiori’s cheeks flared red and Kiyoko and Masaru burst out laughing. 

“You two are horrible,” she said, trying to maintain her dignity even as her blush deepened.

They’d been waiting for a little over an hour when Akira-sensei returned and told them to pack their things.

“We’re going to move fast,” she said, watching as Kiyoko stuffed a sweater back into her pack. “We’ve got a day’s travel before we have to turn back to Konoha and I want to cover as much ground as possible.”

“Where did you go?” Kiyoko asked. “Did you find the guy from the bar?”

“Yes,” Akira-sensei said, ushering them out of the room after doing a final sweep to check that they hadn’t left anything behind. “And the gallery owner. He heard them talking about a town close to the western border, we’re going to head that way.”

“Do you think we’ll actually catch them?” Masaru asked.

“No,” Akira-sensei responded. “But we might get a hint as to why they were headed that way.”

“This group,” Shiori said quietly as they raced out of the town. “How large is it?”

“We don’t know,” Akira-sensei answered.

“It feels odd that we were looking for Itachi and Kisame, but found Sasori and Deidara,” Shiori said.

“Maybe they work in groups of four,” Kiyoko suggested. “That's a pretty standard procedure for shinobi squads.”

“This isn’t a standard squad though, is it?” Masaru said. “We know what Itachi did to become an s-rank criminal; I bet these others are just as bad.”

“Different kinds of bad,” Akira-sensei said. “But you’re right, all four of them are exceptionally dangerous.”

“Have you fought them before?” Masaru asked.

“One of them,” Akira-sensei said. “And he came very close to killing me. So on the off chance we do catch up to any of them, no heroics,” she said shooting her students a wry smirk.

Masaru frowned, if he was right, Itachi or Kisame were responsible for Kakashi-sensei being in the hospital. Now, Akira-sensei was telling them that one of these four had nearly killed her? If they somehow managed to catch any of these Akatsuki-members, Masaru wasn’t sure they’d be able to beat them. 

They’d run most of the night, slowing occasionally when Akira-sensei would see or hear something that caught her attention. It reminded Masaru of their first mission outside Konoha, they were even headed in, generally, the same direction. Keeping up with Akira-sensei had been exhausting, then. After only a few hours, he’d wanted a break. Now, Masaru found it easier to keep pace with her. It was a surprising - but welcome - demonstration of how far they’d come.

Akira-sensei slowed and held up a hand for them to stop. Masaru could just make out the scent of smoke in the air.

“Is something burning?” Kiyoko asked quietly.

“Yes,” Akira-sensei answered.

“Maybe a forest fire?” Shiori said, scanning the trees.

“No, it’s not wood smoke.” Akira-sensei frowned and motioned for them to follow her closely as she crept forward. “Can you smell the oil in it?”

Masaru could, though it was faint. 

“What is it?” Kiyoko asked.

“That’s what a detonated bomb smells like.”

Masaru felt a lance of fear race down his spine; Akira-sensei had warned them about Deidara’s experience in the Iwagakure Explosion Corps. 

“We can’t have caught up to them,” he said. “They had such a long head start.”

“They’re not in the area,” Akira-sensei said. “Or, if they are, they’re masking their chakra extremely well.”

Masaru glanced at Kiyoko and Shiori, wondering if they were as nervous as he was. Shiori looked composed, as always, but he did see a flicker of uncertainty in her grey eyes. Kiyoko looked downright queasy and Masaru shot her a bracing smile. She blinked and grinned at him in return. As much as she claimed to be recovered, Masaru knew her wounds from the attack weren’t fully healed. If they did come to a fight, she’d be at even more of a disadvantage than the rest of them.

The smell intensified as they crept closer and Masaru grimaced; it was an acrid scent that seemed to stick in his throat. Kiyoko swore as a large crater came into view between the trees. Smoke rose from the shattered and charred trees around the edge of the depression and Masaru felt his stomach churn as he realized that some of those smoking hunks of rubble were actually pieces of a person. Shaped stones, like they’d come from some sort of building, were scattered around and Masaru could just make out the remains of the foundation of a small house in the center of the blast zone.

Akira-sensei drew her sword and motioned for Masaru, Kiyoko, and Shiori to stand behind her. Huddled near the foundation were three people and none of them looked like they were in good shape.

“Stay back,” one of them yelled, their voice hoarse but strong enough to carry. “We don’t want any more trouble.”

“We're shinobi from Konoha,” Akira-sensei said. “We can offer you assistance if you’ve been attacked.”

Masaru frowned at her; he didn’t like the idea of announcing who they were to random people. Sure, they were still in the Land of Fire, but what if those people were enemies?

The person didn’t respond and Akira-sensei moved forward slowly. Masaru followed her, every muscle in his body tense as he expected a surprise attack from the trees. To his left, Shiori activated her yureigan, her all-black eyes trained on the three people in the ruins of the building.

Akira-sensei paused when the early morning light glinted off a forehead protector one of the people was wearing.

“You’re from Sunagakure,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “What are you doing in the Land of Fire?”

“We were hunting down a lead,” the Suna-nin said. “We heard Orochimaru might have a hideout in the area.”

Akira-sensei frowned and Masaru felt a sudden urge to kill all three of them, or at the very least, leave them to their fates. They may have surrendered to Konoha after their botched invasion, but Masaru wasn’t ready to see anyone from Suna as friends just yet.

“What happened?” Akira-sensei asked and Masaru noticed her grip on her sword tightening.

The Suna-nin they’d been talking to opened his mouth to respond but he was cut off by his companion crying out. Masaru allowed himself to fully take in their situation. The man they were speaking to clearly had broken arms and a large cut across his forehead. The woman next to him, the one that had screamed, was huddled in on herself like she was in agony, though Masaru couldn’t see any serious injuries. The third shinobi was partially crushed under a pile of stones from the ruined building; Masaru couldn’t tell if he was alive or not.

“I’ll tell you all I can,” the Suna-nin said, his voice cracking. “But can you help us?”

Masaru glanced at Akira-sensei, he knew getting any information they had could be important, but he wasn’t feeling particularly inclined to help them.

“Of course,” Shiori said and Masaru shot her a surprised look. “They aren’t our enemies now,” she said softly. “And there are no deaths coming for us.”

Masaru took in her all-black eyes, he hadn’t thought of being able to use the yureigan as a threat-detector.

“What happened to her?” Akira-asked, nodding toward the woman on the ground.

“I don’t know,” the Suna-nin said. “She got hit by a trap but it was only a few needles.”

Akira-sensei frowned and moved toward the woman, apparently ready to trust Shiori’s assertion that they weren’t in danger.

“Masaru, see what you can do for him.” Akira-sensei nodded toward the man pinned under the rubble. 

Masaru’s eyes widened, he was surprised the man was still alive but as he got closer he could see the shallow rise and fall of his chest. Masaru knelt beside the man, unsure of where to begin. He needed to get the rubble cleared away if he was going to see the extent of the man’s injuries, but he wasn’t sure what the safest way to do that was.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Shiori said softly. She’d followed him to the Suna-nin and was looking down at the man with a sad expression. “If you move the rocks, it will kill him, they’re the only things holding him together.”

“Are you sure?” The Suna-nin they’d been talking to stumbled toward them. Over his shoulder, Masaru could see Akira-sensei and Kiyoko helping the injured woman.

“I’m sorry,” Shiori said. “He’s going to die, the only question now is how.”

The Suna-nin frowned at her.

“If we move the rocks, he’ll die,” she explained. “But he will also die if the rocks remain, they’re slowly suffocating him. Both deaths will be painful, though the former will be quicker. We could also ease his passing.”

The Suna-nin slumped to the ground next to his comrade’s head, tears gathering in his eyes. 

Masaru looked away; he understood the man’s pain all too well. The constant ache in his chest, where the memory of all the people they’d lost in Suna and Oto’s attack ate away at him, felt like it would never ease. Clearly, this man cared for his comrades enough to mourn their passing, how could he have willingly caused that kind of pain for an entire village?

The crushed man groaned and his eyes flickered open; he glanced around, his eyes clearly having trouble focusing on anything. “Junichi?” His voice was little more than a whisper and Masaru glanced at the other Suna-nin.

The man shook his head, his eyes flickering to the chunks of flesh scattered around the crater.

“I’m here, Ryosuke,” the man said. 

“Tatsuya?”

The Suna-nin, Tatsuya, nodded and put a hand on Ryosuke’s shoulder. Ryosuke blinked and frowned at Masaru and Shiori. “Konoha-nin?”

“We’re here to help,” Shiori said, deactivating her yureigan and smiling at him. 

Ryosuke tried to laugh but it ended up as a cough that brought blood to his lips. “Not much you can do for me, I think,” he said. 

“No, there isn’t,” Shiori agreed.

“Tatsuya,” Ryosuke looked at his teammate. “Are you crying again? You have to get tougher. Where’s Mika? You have to look after her now.”

“She’s okay,” Tatsuya said. “She’s getting help.”

Masaru looked toward Akira-sensei and saw that she’d summoned Kai. The black scorpion was crawling along the Suna-kunoichi, prodding her with his stinger at specific points. If that was helping her, it certainly seemed like a bitter medicine to Masaru.

“Good.” Ryosuke coughed again, this time so violently that it shook as much of his body that was left exposed. When it stopped, he gasped for air and Masaru frowned. Emi had taught him some medical ninjutsu while he was helping her at the hospital. He still wasn’t very good, he didn’t have the best chakra control, but he could probably ease the man’s suffering a bit.

He gathered chakra into his hands but Ryosuke shook his head. “Don’t waste that on me,” he said. “Help Tatsuya.”

“Ryosuke-”

“Don’t argue,” he cut Tatsuya off. “I don’t have the breath or energy to deal with your stubbornness right now.” 

Tatsuya just nodded, a fresh wave of tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Girl,” Ryosuke said, looking at Shiori. “You’re a Kagemura?”

“I am.”

“You can see death, but can you see what comes after?”

There was a short pause and Masaru looked at Shiori, trying to figure out what she was thinking. She smiled at Ryosuke, it wasn’t a particularly happy smile, but it was comforting. 

“There’s peace,” she said.

“Peace?” Ryosuke repeated. “That’s something I’d like to see. Help me get there? I don’t like the idea of having a rock take me out.”

Shiori nodded and looked to Tatsuya.

“I can’t,” Tatsuya said, his eyes wide as he shook his head.

Shiori returned her attention to Ryosuke and pulled out a kunai. “I’ll make this as quick as I can.”

“Thank you,” he said. “Be strong, Tatsuya.”

Tatsuya let out a choked sob as Shiori buried her kunai in the back of Ryosuke’s neck. He died quickly and Tatsuya let his tears flow unhindered.

“I’m sorry,” Masaru muttered, moving closer to him so he could start working on Tatsuya’s head wound. The bleeding had slowed considerably, and Masaru was sure he had enough skill to close the wound. He focused his chakra and pressed it into Tatsuya’s forehead, spreading it through the broken skin, encouraging the cells to heal. It was a strange sensation. Masaru had always thought medical ninjutsu was like using chakra to stitch people up but it was different. Instead of using his chakra to mend, he was actually using it to grow. He wasn’t really changing anything, just helping it do what it already knew how to a little quicker. 

The wound closed and Masaru stopped the flow of chakra. It looked like a weeks-old injury now and he felt a surge of pride. 

“Thanks,” Tatsuya said, still sniffling.

“I’m not quite at bone-mending level,” Masaru responded, looking at Tatsyua’s arms. They were bent at odd angles, it was probably something of a miracle that no bones had broken out of the skin. It had to hurt like crazy, but Tatsuya was already focused back on the Suna-kunoichi, Mika.

“Is she going to be okay?” He asked as he stumbled toward Akira-sensei and Kiyoko, closely followed by Masaru and Shiori.

“Yes,” Akira-sensei said.

She sounded tired and Masaru noticed a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead. Kai was sitting on Mika’s chest, a green glow surrounding him

“You’re lucky we’re the ones who found you,” Akira-sensei continued. “There are precious few people that can counteract this toxin.”

She fixed Tatsuya with a serious look. “Tell me what happened.”

Tatsuya described his team’s attempts to find Orochimaru’s hiding spot. They’d heard rumors the fallen Sanin was in the area and they were desperate to seek revenge for the Kazekage he murdered. Instead of Orochimaru, they’d found a small storehouse and had inadvertently set off the traps protecting the place.

“It was stupid,” Tatsuya said. “We were too eager, we should have checked more carefully.”

“Did you see what was inside?”

“Not much, as far as I could tell. It was mostly empty, a few crates but that’s it.”

Akira-sensei scanned the surroundings and Masaru did the same. He could see bits of wood that could have been crates, though he couldn’t see any trace of what might have been in them. He stood and walked around the foundation, the stones were scorched and there were random bits of debris but nothing Masaru could identify. 

“No one else was here?” Akira-sensei asked.

Tatsuya shook his head. “It looked like someone had been here recently, but they were gone by the time we got here.”

Akira-sensei frowned and turned her attention to Kai. The scorpion was still settled on Mika’s chest, but the glow around him had faded considerably.

“How are you feeling?” Akira-sensei asked.

“Fine,” Kai responded, though even Masaru could hear the weariness in his deep voice.

“Head home,” Akira-sensei said. “I’ll finish up here. And send word to Suna about what’s happened.”

Kai vanished and Akira-sensei began using medical ninjutsu on Mika, focusing on the Suna-kunoichi’s torso.

“Akira-sensei,” Kiyoko said. “How can Kai get word to Suna?”

“The Scorpion Village is deep in the desert,” Akira-sensei answered. “But they have a portal that allows their messengers to get to Suna quickly, if need be.”

“It’s unusual for the scorpions to sign a contract with anyone outside the Land of Wind,” Tatsuya said and Masaru wasn’t sure he liked the way the Suna-nin studied Akira-sensei.

“Unusual, perhaps, but lucky for you,” Akira-sensei responded. “If it weren’t for my contract with the scorpions, your friend here would be dead. In any case, she won’t be able to travel for another day, and we cannot stay with you,” Akira-sensei said. “Kai will get word to Suna, hopefully they’ll send someone to help.”

“There’s a small village less than an hour to the west,” Tatsuya said. “We passed it on the way here. 

Akira-sensei glanced at Tatsuya’s arms, then back at Mika. “We can help you that far,” she said. 

Masaru frowned, he still wasn’t sure he trusted Tatsuya; at least not enough to let him lead them to a random town where an ambush could be waiting. Hadn’t the gallery owner said Sasori and Deidara had mentioned a small town close to the western border? He looked toward Shiori and Kiyoko to see if they were concerned as well. Shiori was focused on Mika, her eyes bled to black again. She was certainly more comfortable using the yureigan than she had been before, Masaru was glad about that. But seeing those eyes again didn’t exactly make him feel more at ease. Kiyoko was hovering over Akira-sensei’s shoulder, her bright green eyes flickering between their sensei, Tatsuya, Mika, Shiori, and finally to Masaru before repeating the cycle.

“Akira-sensei,” Masaru said, catching her attention and motioning for her to join him where he stood at the far corner of the ruined foundation.

“What is it?” She asked once she was next to him.

Masaru pointed to a blank spot on the floor, there was nothing there but it would give Tatsuya the impression they weren’t talking about him and his companion. “Are you sure we can trust them?” Masaru asked quietly.

Akira-sensei glanced at him then knelt down, pretending to examine the spot he’d pointed out. “Probably,” she answered, just as quietly. “I think Tatsuya is telling the truth, that he and his squad accidentally stumbled upon one of Deidara and Sasori’s safehouses.”

“How can you be sure?” Masaru asked, kneeling next to her.

“The woman,” Akira-sensei said, glancing toward Tatsuya and Mika. “The venom in her system was Sasori’s. I don’t know much about Deidara, but Sasori is not the type to throw away underlings.”

“What if they were just using them to lure us to another location?” Masaru asked. 

Akira-sensei chuckled softly and stood, brushing off the knees of her black trousers. “It’s possible, and we’ll have to be wary, but I don’t think that’s the case.”

“But why?” Masaru asked, letting his frustration show. Did Akira-sensei really not feel concerned about this? How could she possibly trust these people?

Akira-sensei’s blue eyes seemed to pierce through him as she studied his face. “Are you anxious, or angry?”

Masaru frowned. “Both, I guess.”

Akira-sensei shot him a pointed look and he sighed. “Okay, more angry than anxious.”

“I know this isn’t easy, but I need you to block out your anger when we’re on missions; none of us can afford to have our judgment or our instincts clouded.”

Masaru looked away from Akira-sensei’s intense stare, he knew plenty of people that seemed fueled by rage, they still carried out their missions. Though, to his knowledge, none of them were sent on information-gathering missions.

“I’ll try,” he mumbled.

Akira-sensei smiled and ruffled his hair before he could dodge her. He glared at her as he tried to fix his hair and she winked before heading back to the others. 


	45. What Comes Next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV: Shiori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, we certainly didn't intend to leave it this long before updating! Between crazy schedules and a broken computer, we've fallen a bit behind. Sorry about that!

The streets of Konoha were beginning to return to normal; there was still a tightness in the air, a feeling of general unease as people tried to figure out if it was okay to go back to ‘normal’ but over that tightness was a growing feeling of security. It was good to see. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Shiori hadn’t been convinced that the Village would ever be the same but at least now she could take comfort in the fact that it would be something close. Unfortunately, it looked like the increased mistrust the villagers had for Shiori was going to be part of the new normal. They weren’t being outright hostile, but she couldn’t even walk the relatively short distance between her house and Takara-san’s recently repaired bakery without enduring a barrage of suspicious glances and glares. 

She bit back a sigh and tramped down the urge to slouch. Shiori still didn’t know exactly what her place was here - was she still a hostage? Was she a no-strings-attached member of the village? Was she a political refugee? She had no idea. And she had no idea what any of that meant for the Kagemura. Seijiro had claimed there were members of her clan willing - if not eager - to rejoin Konoha, was that even a possibility? It felt too big for Shiori; there was no way she could untangle all of it on her own, but at the very least, she could walk with her head held high.

It was exhausting, though, ignoring their glares. Shiori was just considering detouring from Takara-san’s bakery and finding Kiyoko or Masaru when she spotted Neji across the street.

She felt that usual jolt of excitement, happiness, and nerves as she hurried over to him; eager to see a friendly face - to see his face. 

“Neji.”

He turned when she called his name and smiled shyly at her. “I didn’t know you were back already,” he said as she joined him.

She nodded, opening her mouth to invite him over for tea when a tall man with long dark hair and a stately bearing stepped up beside them. Shiori’s mouth snapped shut, it had been a while since she’d seen Hyuuga Hiashi this close but she’d recognize him anywhere.

“Neji?” He said with a pleasant smile. “Is this Shiori?”

Shiori blushed a little - this was exactly why she shouldn’t run up to people like Kiyoko did - and nodded her head. “Hello, Hiashi-sama,” she said.

“This is good timing,” Hiashi said. “Neji was just telling me about you.”

Shiori looked at Neji, her blush deepening, and saw that Neji was blushing a well.

“Uncle…” Neji said, shifting his feet.

Hiashi put a hand on Neji’s shoulder and chuckled. “We were just heading home. Please, join us for a cup of tea,” he invited Shiori. 

Shiori felt a jolt of alarm; she wasn’t dressed to have tea at the Hyuuga compound, with the Head of the Family, no less! These were her errand running clothes, there was a tear in the hem of her dress and her hair had to be a mess - had she brushed it this morning?

Neji caught her eye and smiled, his cheeks still flushed pink. “Please, come,” he asked softly.

Shiori nodded, biting back the concerns whirling around her brain. “I’d love to.”

She fell into step beside Neji and tried desperately to ignore the villagers they passed; though she couldn’t quite block out the surprise she felt in the air. 

It had been years since Shiori had been to the Hyuuga compound; at her first Oath-Giving Ceremony, she’d gone to the compounds of each of the major families in Konoha to swear her loyalty. The Hyuuga, the Uchiha, the Sarutobi, the Nara, so many others. It had been a long day and all Shiori could remember of the Hyuuga compound was that it was large and intimidating. Now, as she let Neji lead her through the gates, she could appreciate the elegant beauty of the buildings and the serene atmosphere. 

They took their tea in a formal room; she and Neji sat across the square table from Hiashi; Shiori was comforted to see that Neji seemed as flustered as she was. They talked politely about this and that for a time as they sipped their tea and Shiori slowly relaxed. Hiashi was being very kind, gone was the intimidating man from her Oath-Giving Ceremony and in his place was a gentle, albeit formal, uncle. 

“My nephew speaks very highly of you,” Hiashi said with a smile.

Neji shifted a little in his seat and blushed. “Uncle…” He complained.

Shiori laughed softly and blushed. “Neji is -” she broke off. “He and I -” she paused and looked down at her tea. “I think very highly of him, too.”

Hiashi made an amused sound and Shiori glanced up to see him smiling fondly at the two of them. “I was also very impressed with you during the chunin exams,” he continued after taking a sip of tea. “And the reports of how you helped after.” 

Shiori nodded in gratitude. “Thank you.”

“Our clan is very important to me; I would give anything for them,” he shifted slightly in his seat and Shiori couldn’t help thinking back to everything the Hyuuga family - and Neji in particular - had gone through. “I know you have given a lot for your clan as well. Your decision to fight for Konoha and honor your vow speaks very well of you.”

Shiori felt a small rush of gratitude toward him; outside of those who knew her well, Shiori hadn’t heard an acknowledgement of what she’d done to help the Village, nor praise for her decision. It meant more than she’d expected to hear the support of someone like Hyuuga Hiashi. 

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Hiashi smiled and finished his tea. “I hope you will come train with us some time. There are rumors that the yureigan is powerful enough to cast a genjutsu that can deceive even the byakugan. Though your predecessor was unable to unlock such potential, I suspect you can.”

It was news to Shiori, she hadn’t considered that the yureigan could challenge the byakugan, but the possibility of putting that to the test sounded very interesting. She looked to Neji and he was smiling, his eyes glinting with that competitive light he got when presented with a new challenge. 

“I would like that,” Shiori said, turning her attention back to Hiashi. “Thank you.”

He smiled and stood. “I won’t interfere with you two any longer. Thank you for coming, Shiori, please come anytime,” he said before leaving with a polite nod.

Shiori managed to squeak out another thank you after him before turning her attention to Neji. He was blushing, again, and Shiori couldn’t help finding the light dusting of pink on his usually pale cheeks adorable.

“I'm sorry if that was awkward,” Neji said, clearing his throat. “I’d already mentioned to him that I’d like to have you by sometime, but I didn’t know -”

Shiori silenced him with a hand on his arm. “It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “It was really nice.”

Neji looked at her in relief. “That’s good. He was really happy to meet you, I think. And I’m glad you met him too,” he added, scooting a little closer to her.

Shiori smiled and finished her tea. It was unexpectedly sweet to feel like Neji was inviting her into his life more. She wished there was a way she could pay him back, in kind, but it wasn’t like she could introduce him to any of her family. Well, at least not under present circumstances.

“Let’s go for a walk. I could show you around?” Neji suggested.

Shiori nodded eagerly, she wanted to see the places he called home.

They stood and Neji gently brushed his hand against hers a few times, tentatively touching her fingers until she reached out and clasped his hand. A happy, almost giddy feeling welled up in her and she giggled before she could even think to stop herself. Neji smiled and squeezed her hand.

He led her around the compound, pointing out places or things of interest as they passed leisurely by. Finally, he brought her to a modest building and they entered together, removing their shoes.

“This is my place,” he said with a shy smile.

It was roughly the size of Shiori’s main room, though it didn’t have the generations of scrolls from past Kagemura hostages lining the walls so it seemed very spacious to her.

“It’s lovely,” she said, smiling at him. And it really was; the sitting room had fresh flowers decorating the windowsill and the screen in the back was open, letting fresh air into the space. 

“Thank you,” he said, clearly pleased that she liked it. 

He took her through the sitting room, to the small family garden and koi pond that waited just outside the open screen. It was lovely, almost too picturesque for words, as they took a seat next to the water. With this scene just outside his door, Shiori wasn’t sure why he’d bother with the park near her house. She felt her heart flutter as he put his arm around her and pulled her close. The warmth of him next to her mirrored to contentment growing in her heart and she turned her head to kiss his cheek. However, at her movement, he’d turned his head toward her and her innocent kiss on his cheek became an innocent kiss on his lips.

She giggled and pulled away for a second before moving forward again, this time deliberate in her intent. The feeling of him so close to her, his lips on hers, his arms around her, she didn’t think she’d ever get enough of it. 

A discreet, but intentional, cough from the far side of the garden caused them to break apart, the world around them reasserting itself. Shiori felt the blood rise to her face and she had to resist the urge to huddle into Neji and hide. 

“Oops,” she muttered, giggling.

“It’ll be okay,” Neji said, nodding to his family member before turning back to Shiori, his face bright red despite his reassurances. “That was … wonderful,” he said, the open, honest smile on his face was probably the most beautiful thing Shiori had ever seen.

She nodded. “I’ll be looking forward to doing that again,” she said, surprised by her own boldness.

“Absolutely.” He nodded.

Neji kept his arm around her, turning to look out at the pond once more. 

Shiori smiled softly and did the same, leaning into his side softly. How much were you supposed to lean in? All of your body weight seemed inappropriate, but half? A quarter? She had to remember to ask Kiyoko sometime. And once Kiyoko was done laughing she might actually answer her. 

“Shiori?” He asked after a moment. 

“Yes?” 

“I was thinking that perhaps… That is to say, would it be alright if… If I was to call you something like my girlfriend?” He asked in hesitating sentences. 

Shiori blushed, opened her mouth to reply and found she couldn’t even speak. 

Neji blushed and looked at her, “I know it seems a trivial term. Juvenile. But I have been told that the natural course is to establish an official relationship title.” 

For a moment Shiori enjoyed the idea of Neji asking someone what the ‘natural course’ of a relationship was. It was sweet, even as he made it very formal sounding. 

“However,” Neji went on, still nervously waiting for her reaction, “I think it has a nice ring to it somehow.” 

“Seems reasonable to make it official.” Shiori nodded, smiling a little. “I’d like that.” 

Neji smiled, wide enough she could actually see his teeth which was rare. “Good.” He said happily and pulled her a little closer. 

  
  


Shiori’s living room was a mess. After tea with Neji and his uncle, Shiori had returned home and started sorting through all the records she had on the Kagemura. Once she’d been able to focus on something other than the feeling of Neji’s lips on hers and the lingering giddiness of his company, that is. 

She sighed and looked at the piles of scrolls haphazardly piled through the room; so much information and all it did was confuse her more. In all of those scrolls, there was no real history of her clan. There were scrolls on jutsu developed by the Kagemura - predominately by Isamu, the first hostage - and copies of each of the hostage’s oaths of fealty to Konoha. Why they needed so many copies of those, Shiori didn’t know. There were already copies lining the wall like prison bars disguised as decorations, making sure that Shiori never forgot her place.

Even with the stunning amount of jutsu Isamu developed or refined, and the insulting number of oath copies, the largest pile by far was of the journals of the hostages that came before Shiori. 

The journals of her predecessors were all but useless. Isamu was still bitter about the Kagemura’s defeat. His journals were just pages of whining and coming up with more and more complex jutsu to distract him from his plight. Aiko’s were more reflective; she spent her time thinking about what the Kagemura had been, and what had caused them to stray from what she considered to be their ‘righteous past’ - though what that past was, she didn’t elaborate on. And Hanae, Shiori’s immediate predecessor, had been disgusted with the Kagemura. Of all the hostages, Shiori included, Hanae had just wanted to be part of Konoha and shed the Kagemura name and history entirely. Reading through their writings had made Shiori reconsider her own journaling. Would her accounts of her time in Konoha be as useless to her successor as Isamu, Aiko, and Hanae’s had been to her? Not that she was likely to have a successor, given the current situation.

Shiori sighed and yanked a kunai out of the wall - she really should stop using the oaths for target practice, but, then again, she clearly had copies to spare. She sliced her thumb and, making a hand-sign, pressed her bloodied hand to the largest clear patch of floor. A puff of smoke obscured her vision for a moment before clearing and leaving a rather bored-looking spider in its wake. 

“Good evening, Morsel,” Yuko said, taking in Shiori and the chaos of the room with her many eyes. “Time for another chat?”

The giant spider scuttled carefully around the stacks of scrolls and up Shiori’s wall, making her way to her favorite corner on the ceiling and settling in. Shiori had been calling on Yuko a lot recently; not for training - though getting used to rationing the amount of chakra she needed to sacrifice to keep the spider with her was good practice- but for advice. Well, not advice, Yuko rarely gave advice that Shiori wanted to follow. But she was a good sounding board for ideas.

“You know,” Yuko continued once she was comfortable. “Most humans prefer the company of their own kind to the company of arachnids.”

Shiori shrugged and flopped down on the floor next to a pile of Isamu’s journals. “Most humans around here have an inherent bias when it comes to the Kagemura.”

Yuko chittered quietly, a sound that Shiori was beginning to recognize as the spider’s version of a chuckle. “It’s one of those days, is it? Feeling sorry for yourself?”

“No,” Shiori said, shooting her a glare. “I had a good day today, actually. Well, most of it.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Shiori felt heat rising to her face; she hadn’t brought Yuko here to talk about Neji but the spider was as bad as Kiyoko once she caught the scent of gossip. It was a lucky thing that Kiyoko was terrified of Yuko, the pair would be unstoppable in their search for scandal if they ever teamed up. 

“Neji and I had tea,” Shiori said begrudgingly. “With his uncle. It was nice.”

“Getting the Hyuuga on your side?” Yuko hummed. “Clever.”

“It’s not like that! I-” Shiori broke off and looked away from Yuko’s smug expression. She didn’t need to confess the depths of her feelings for Neji to Yuko; assuming she could even find the words to express what those feelings were. 

Yuko chuckled again. “I know it’s not ‘like that’,” she said. “Your affection for the young man is evident. Still, it’s not a bad idea to get the powerful families on your side; you’ll need their support for whatever comes next.”

Shiori looked up at the spider with a frown. She’d told Yuko about her concerns for the Kagemura’s - and her own - future; about Seijiro’s plea for her to somehow save their clan from Shou and Orochimaru. Yuko seemed to think it was possible, if Shiori went about it the right way. Shiori wasn’t convinced.

“I see you’ve continued your research?” Yuko gestured to the mess with a slender front leg.

“For all the good it’s done me,” Shiori muttered. “I can’t get a straight answer on anything out of these.” She glared at the scrolls. “Konoha puts the blame for the Kagemura rebellion solely on the shoulders of the Kagemura. Isamu puts the blame on Konoha - and the Second Hokage - for being repressive. Aiko thinks everyone was wrong and just wished everyone could get along. Hanae was ready to burn the world down herself if it would rid her of the Kagemura name.” 

Shiori stood and began pacing again. “My father,” she glanced at the leather-bound journal Akira-sensei had brought back from the Kagemura compound. “Was apparently a colossal idiot and couldn’t see the rebellion growing right under his nose.” 

Next to his journal was a small stack of notes from Akira-sensei detailing the information she and the interrogation force had gotten from Seijiro. The differences between what Shiori’s father had written of, and what Seijiro said was happening, were stark. How had he missed so much? Shiori remembered a man who had the answer to everything, who could always be counted on to find the path that led to what was best for everyone. Even when he sent her to Konoha, she’d thought he was making the right decision; no matter how much she personally hated it. But if he could be so wrong, so blind, how could Shiori trust anything she’d thought of him? 

“I don’t know how any of this happened,” Shiori continued. “I don’t know how we got here, how am I supposed to decide what to do next if I can’t understand why it happened in the first place?” She tugged at the ends of her long hair then paused, frowning. That was Akira-sensei’s nervous tick, not hers. 

“What does it matter?” Yuko asked, distracting Shiori from her annoyance.

“What?”

“What does it matter if you know why a rebellion started generations ago? Or even why they rebelled again? If the Kagemura were justified, would it change what you have to do next? Or if your clan was just as wicked as Konoha claims, would that change your course? In all likelihood, you’d find that both are true and you’d be right back where you are now. So, what does it matter?”

“It matters,” Shiori said sharply. “Because apparently I’m the one that has to decide what happens next.”

“Precisely,” Yuko bared her fangs, as close as a spider could get to smiling. “Regardless of what was, you’re in the position to determine what will be. The only thing you really have to decide is if you want to be Shiori, or if you want to be Kagemura Shiori.”

Shiori studied the spider quietly, her jaw clenched. Yuko made it sound like a simple choice. Just pick whether or not you have a clan and go from there. How many times had Shiori wished to just be like anyone else in the Village? She’d spent years resigned to her fate but wishing she could be rid of it. But that fate had shaped her, it had made her who she was, her dedication to the Kagemura was the foundation that she’d built everything on. 

Train to be a kunoichi because the Kagemura need you to.

Endure suspicion and insults because the Kagemura need you to.

Follow the rules because the Kagemura need you to.

Be better than anyone expects because the Kagemura aren’t just traitors.

But what if the Kagemura were just traitors? First, they rebelled against the Second Hokage, now they’ve rebelled against their own leader; Shiori wasn’t a traitor, but if the Kagemura were, could she call herself one of them? Would anyone expect her to sacrifice everything for traitors?

“Damnit,” Shiori said, taking off the Kagemura pendant that she’d worn around her neck since Akira-sensei had given it to her.

The silver was slightly tarnished, dark spots dulled the metal in places, adding depth to the stylized eye that represented the clan. That same eye was emblazoned on the scrolls that hung on the walls, embroidered on the long jackets that hung neglected in Shiori’s closet. How many times had Shiori seen that symbol and felt comfort? Knowing that all she was doing was for her family.

“This isn’t fair,” she said, glancing at Yuko and wishing that the spider would just make a decision for her.

“Fairness is a lie, Morsel,” Yuko said. “It’s just a mask worn by balance to make the world easier to endure.”

Shiori shot Yuko a flat look and crossed her arms. “You’re the least helpful spider I’ve ever met.”

Yuko bared her teeth in another grin but didn’t offer any more consolation, or advice. 

Shiori stood outside Seijiro’s cell, staring at the metal door as if it could reassure her that she was making the right choice. 

“You don’t have to do this now,” Akira-sensei said, sensing Shiori’s hesitation. “He’s not going anywhere.”

“It’s not going to be any easier later,” Shiori said, taking a deep breath. She’d tracked down Akira-sensei first thing in the morning and asked to be allowed to see Seijiro again. Yuko was right, at least in part. What happened before mattered, but what was going to come next mattered even more and if Shiori was going to have any part in that decision, she had to be firm in her convictions.

“Okay,” Akira-sensei said, moving past her to open the door. “Same rules apply; stay out of arms’ reach, let me know when you’re ready to go.”

She waited until Shiori nodded before unlocking the door and motioning for Shiori to go ahead of her.

Seijiro looked up from where he’d been sitting in his bed, reading. There was a flash of surprise in his eyes before he smiled nervously. It made him look younger and Shiori felt an odd combination of pity and annoyance. It had to be hard for him to be locked up like this, entirely at the mercy of a potential enemy. But was that any different from what Shiori’s life had been? Her cage had been bigger, but it was still a cage. And she hadn’t even done half the things Seijiro and the other Kagemura had.

“Hi,” he said, his grey eyes flickering between Shiori and Akira-sensei.

Shiori pulled the chair from the table near the door and set it a cautious, but close, distance from the foot of his bed. “I know everything you’ve told the interrogation force,” she said as she sat down. 

Seijiro shrank back a little, his back pressed to the stone wall.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t leave you all to your chosen fate,” Shiori continued.

“Because we’re your clan,” he said, his inflection turning the factual statement into a question as he read the unimpressed expression on Shiori’s face. When her only response was a cold stare, Seijiro sighed and shook his head, his long bangs falling into his eyes for a moment before he raked them back.

“Look, Shiori, I’m a coward,” he said, leaning toward her. “I know that, and if you heard what I told them” his grey eyes flickered toward Akira-sensei, “then you know it too. I’m not worth your effort; I’m not going to pretend like I am. A lot of us aren’t worth your effort, to be honest. There are a lot of people like me under Shou’s thumb right now, cowards that would rather save their own skins then stick their necks out for anybody else. There are worse people too; people that enjoy hurting others, especially if it puts them closer to the top. But there are still good people trapped with Shou and Orochimaru. People that are doing all they can to make sure our clan survives, that the best of who we are don’t die on the altars of Shou’s madness or Orochimaru’s ambition. They’re trying, but they need help. You’re the only chance they’ve got.”

Shiori sat back in the chair, studying Seijiro’s expression. It was a moving plea; even if Shiori wasn’t entirely convinced that she was the last, great hope of the Kagemura. “What makes you so confident that I can even help?”

Seijiro’s eyes flickered to Akira-sensei again and he huddled in on himself. “We’ve been watching you,” he admitted quietly. “Closer than Konoha realized. We know you’re a skilled kunoichi; maybe even powerful enough to take on Shou. But more than that, we’ve watched how you’ve survived here, the bonds you’ve formed. Those of us that want to come back, we know you’re the only one that could convince Konoha to give us a chance.”

Shiori frowned, the number of questions in her head doubling. Yes, she’d made friends in her time here, but she certainly didn’t have the sway that Seijiro seemed to think she did. And how could they keep an eye on her without Konoha realizing? Why didn’t anyone try to reach out to her? And who exactly was this ‘we’ and how had Seijiro obscured this from Akira-sensei and the interrogation squad?

“You need to tell me everything,” Shiori said, leaning forward in her chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! We won't leave you hanging for a month this time, I promise!


	46. The Fifth Hokage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV is Akira.

“I can’t believe you missed this,” Kazuo said, looking down at the report Akira had brought him. “I thought you were supposed to be good at interrogations.”

Akira rolled her eyes and leaned against the windowsill in the Hokage’s office. Kazuo was getting far too comfortable in his role as pseudo-Hokage; Jiraiya and Naruto had better hurry up and get Tsunade back to the Village before Kazuo became territorial. “You and I both know how hard it can be to discover, and then unlock, genjutsu triggers. We always knew it was a possibility that Shiori’s presence would reveal hidden memory blocks.”

Kazuo glanced up at her, his expression even sharper than usual. “Which is why I wanted you to bring her to speak with him as soon as he was brought back to the Village. Imagine what we could have done with all this information a month ago.” He returned his attention to her report, but Akira caught the bitter look in his bright blue eyes.

“If you want to blame me for what happened, go ahead,” Akira said. “But I stand by my decision to exercise caution. Shiori’s safety it my responsibility -”

“The Village’s safety is your responsibility, Akira,” Kazuo snapped. “If we had known the Kagemura could use this ‘shadow stride jutsu’” he gestured toward the report with a snarl, “to get in and out of the Village without being detected we could have been better prepared to resist their attack.”

“And that would have stopped Orochimaru’s snakes how, exactly?” Akira asked, arching an eyebrow. “Would that knowledge have stopped us from inviting Sunagakure into our midst? There were many mistakes made, Kazuo, and many things we could have done differently, in hindsight. Cast your blame wherever you need in order to get through this, but let’s focus on moving forward, shall we?”

Kazuo glared at her and she met his anger with as much cool indifference as she could muster. Akira loved her brother; she’d do anything she could to ease his pain at the loss of so many people, but Kazuo was never one to accept pity or comfort.

“Fine,” he said after it became very clear that Akira wasn’t going to back down. “What does your little protege intend to do with all this information, then?”

Akira glanced down at the report. Seijiro had provided them with quite a bit of information on the little rebellion forming within the Kagemura - apparently rebellion was something of a pastime for the clan. They had names of who Seijiro believed could be trusted, information on where the various hideouts the clan had been using were, and even more information on what had led the clan to seek out Orochimaru in the first place. Despite what she’d said to Kazuo, Akira was a bit annoyed that she hadn’t been able to uncover the genjutsu block that had prevented Seijiro from speaking. Even if she couldn’t disable it, she should have at least been able to find it.

“Akira?” Kazuo cut into her thoughts. 

“For the moment, Shiori’s weighing her options,” Akira answered. “What decision could she make before she knows her place in the Village?”

“Tsunade will let her stay,” Kazuo said. “And the Kagemura are a valuable resource; if Shiori thinks she can bring more of the clan back into the fold, Tsunade is practical enough to allow her to try.”

“You sound very sure of yourself,” Akira said. “We don’t even know if Tsunade will agree to be Hokage.”

“She will,” Kazuo said and Akira wondered what made him so confident; aside from his usual arrogance.

“I hope so,” Akira said with a sigh.

Kazuo shot her a calculating look. “You’re worried about Kakashi.”

It wasn’t a question so Akira didn’t bother to answer.

“Do you really want to do this again, Akira?” He continued. “Even if Tsunade can help him, neither of your lives are going to get safer. You’ll be in this position again.”

“Kazuo, my dear brother, I love you,” Akira said with a small smile. “But you are the last person in existence that I’m going to take relationship advice from.”

“So,” Kazuo arched an eyebrow. “It is a relationship, then?”

Akira cursed herself as she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “You are the actual worst.”

“And you’re a fool, but I still tolerate you.”

Akira put a hand over her heart. “Careful, you might make me think you’re fond of me.”

“Don’t go overboard.”

Akira smiled, the tension in the room lifting.

“Now,” Kazuo said, leaning back in his chair. “Update me on Sasori; are you any closer to reconstructing the work that was destroyed when your lab was ransacked?”

Akira sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m making progress, but it’s slow.”

She ran through her efforts, explaining the intricacies of her work to the only person who could really understand what it meant to her. 

* * *

Akira sat beside Kakashi’s hospital bed, fidgeting nervously. She hated hospitals. Hated everything about them, but here she was sitting next to this idiot’s bedside like an anxious lover. Akira smiled a bit at that thought, technically she was an anxious lover, wasn’t she? She could just as easily analyse the information Shiori got from Seijiro in the comfort of Kakashi’s apartment but she was here instead; enduring one of the worst places in the world on the off chance Kakashi snapped out of whatever the hell Itachi had done to him. 

“I’m only going to do this once, Hatake Kakashi,” she said quietly, glaring at him. “I’m not going to sit around fretting every time you nearly get yourself killed.”

Kazuo’s warning ran through her head. It was entirely unnecessary on his part to warn her; Akira was well aware that neither her nor Kakashi’s lives would be getting any safer any time soon. In fact, if half of what Kazuo was worried about ended up being true, their lives were going to get even more dangerous than usual. 

Akira frowned and tried to turn her attention back to Seijiro’s description of one of the Kagemura hideouts; a handful of them were scattered to the north and west of Konoha. Most, according to Seijiro, were small and used to house the elderly and the young; those not particularly useful to Shou, but family to those who had proven their loyalty to him. Those were the places they should go to first, if Shiori decided she wanted to bring the Kagemura back to Konoha. If Tsunade - or whoever the next Hokage was - permitted that.

The door slid open and Akira looked up, surprised to see the object of her thought standing in the doorway. Tsunade looked just as she had the last time Akira had seen her; though that wasn’t a surprise given the sanin’s penchant for making herself appear younger. Akira stood and bowed, trying to ignore the small fluttering of excitement in her stomach. Naruto and Jiyaira had done it, they brought her home and now she was going to bring Kakashi back to Akira. 

“Akira,” Tsunade said, looking her up and down. “Your brother mentioned you would be here.”

Akira frowned slightly; she was going to have a talk with Kazuo about minding his own business. 

“I expect more from you than moping around,” she continued. “We’ve got work to do.”

Akira bowed her head, smiling a little. Tsunade hadn’t gotten any less abrupt, but it was good to have her back. 

“Hatake Kakashi,” Tsunade said, turning toward Kakashi with a sigh. “He should be better than this.”

Behind the sanin, Naruto and Sakura hovered nervously, their concern for Kakashi evident and Akira smiled bracingly at them. She’d have to remember to tell Kakashi how fond they were of him.

Tsunade put her hand on Kakashi’s forehead; it didn’t look like much from the outside, but Akira knew that the work ahead of Tsunade was complex. Itachi had done something to Kakashi’s mind and healing a wound like that took skill that Akira couldn’t imagine. She felt her stomach flip as Kakashi began to stir and Naruto cheered when his sensei’s eyes opened.

“You’re supposed to be some kind of genius,” Tsunade scolded as Kakashi forced himself into a sitting position. “I expected more from you.”

Kakashi apologized, not meeting her stern gaze. 

“Go home,” Tsunade said. “I want you on bed rest until I tell you otherwise.”

It was a sign of how weary he was that Kakashi didn’t argue that point as Tsunade swept out of the room. 

Once the room was empty, Akira sat on the bed next to Kakashi.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, hesitating a moment before reaching out to touch his cheek. He was awake, he was here. Everything was going to be okay.

“There are no words,” he said, his voice rough and dull, even as he leaned into Akira’s touch.

Akira frowned and scooted closer to him. “Come on,” she said, taking his hand. “Let’s get you home.”

They made their way to his apartment as quickly as they could. Akira was thankful that they didn’t run into anyone along the way; Kakashi would not appreciate being seen as worn down as he was, even though he was hiding it remarkably well. 

Akira ushered Kakashi into his own apartment and shut and locked the door behind them, sealing them away from the outside world as best she could.

“Do you want to go to bed?” She asked, watching him toe off his shoes.

“I don’t think I have the energy to go to bed with you just now,” he responded with a soft laugh that warmed Akira to the bone.

“Well, your sense of humor is inact,” Akira said, smiling as Kakashi slumped down on the couch. She sat next to him and cuddled close, running her fingers through his hair. He wasn’t as touchy as she was, but he didn’t seem to begrudge her the need to be close to him.

They sat in silence as Kakashi slowly relaxed into Akira’s touch, his head coming to rest on her shoulder. Akira continued the gentle motions of her fingers through his hair as he started to speak, his voice hoarse but steady as he described Itachi’s jutsu. It was hideous; a level of cruelty that shocked Akira; though, given what Itachi had done to his own clan, perhaps that surprise wasn’t warranted. Akira clung tightly to Kakashi as he finished speaking, the reality of how close she’d come to losing him falling on her like the weight of the world. She was so excited to see where her relationship with Kakashi would go, the thought of having that adventure cut short so suddenly made her chest tighten.

Kakashi seemed to sense her distress and shifted so he could hold her closer, letting her bury her face in the crook of his neck. Akira was more than content to stay there forever, wrapped securely in his arms and the surety that, at least for now, he was with her.

Kakashi’s stomach growled and Akira burst out laughing. “I suppose it has been a while since you had real food,” she said, putting her hand on his stomach and looking up; pleased to find his ears tinged red.

“I suppose,” Kakashi admitted.

Akira kissed his nose though his mask and stood. “I’ll make you something.”

“Just something small,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. 

Akira caught him up on what had happened while he was out - specifically the state of his team - as she heated some leftovers. Part of her wanted to shield him from the knowledge that Sasuke had suffered a similar technique at the hands of Itachi, but she knew he wouldn’t appreciate it. Kakashi was never one to shy away from hard truths, even if it might do him some good, from time to time. 

“That Sasuke,” Akira sighed, offering him a bowl of rice and curry. “I worry about him.”

Kakashi took the offered food with a soft ‘thank you’ and lowered his mask to eat.

“He’s lucky to have you,” Akira continued, once again taking a seat next to Kakashi on the couch and cuddling as close as she could, without impeding his ability to eat. 

“I can only offer him my best advice,” Kakashi said with a sigh. “It’s up to him if he listens.”

Akira rubbed his arm, enjoying the firm strength of the muscles there, even as she hoped her action brought him some comfort. “He’ll see reason,” she said, trying to sound more sure than she felt. 

Kakashi sighed again and finished the bowl. “You mentioned a recon mission?” He asked, turning to her once he’d set the bowl down.

Akira nodded, she’d skimmed through that while she was updating him. “It didn’t amount to much, but we have a bit more data on the Akatsuki, at least.”

She frowned and it was Kakashi’s turn to comfort her, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

“I’m going to have to keep an eye on Masaru,” she said, voicing her concerns about his reaction on the mission for the first time. “He lost so much in the attack - I understand why he’s having trouble putting his anger aside - but I need him to find a way through it.” She sighed. “And poor Kiyoko, she’s trying so hard to be brave but she’s finally been forced to face her own mortality.” Akira’s voice trailed off and she sighed again, nuzzling deeper into Kakashi’s embrace. “Don’t even get me started on Shiori.”

Kakashi chuckled and Akira looked up to find him looking at her fondly. “You’ll make a good mom,” he said suddenly.

Akira’s mouth dropped open for a moment, then she laughed. “Are you propositioning me?”

Kakashi’s smile widened. “Not yet,” he teased.

Akira laughed again, ignoring the pounding of her heart. “Good,” she said, standing and taking Kakashi’s empty bowl to the sink. “I don’t think Tsunade would be very understanding if I told her I had to take a year’s leave to have our baby.” 

Kakashi chuckled and Akira didn’t even bother trying to hide her happiness at the sound. It wasn’t any different than the normal chuckle her antics could elicit, and the fact that he could still offer her that after what Itachi had done to him was wonderful. 

“Akira?” He asked, his voice uncertain.

She turned toward him and tipped her head to the side. “Yes?”

“You know I have that dog bed,” he said, pointing to the large bed that took up a significant portion of his living room floor.

“I assumed it was for your ninken to relax while you were working on a project,” she said. It was a bit odd that they didn’t just return to their own realm, but she kept Kai around enough that she couldn’t really judge.

“It’s used for a dog pile,” he admitted with a small shrug.

“A dog pile?” Akira repeated, biting her lip to keep from smiling.

Kakashi blushed and looked away. “I join them, sometimes. It helps keep us familiar and smelling similar for our jutsu, and tracking,” his voice trailed off and Akira bit her lip harder as a laugh threatened to break through. 

Oh, he was trying to make it sound all professional but apparently the great Hatake Kakashi summoned his animal contracts for puppy cuddles. “I see,” she said, unable to stop a few giggles from escaping.

Kakashi groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m going to summon them. I need the extra comfort right now,” he admitted softly.

Akira nodded and smiled. “Okay, I won’t tell,” she promised.

“Better not,” he mumbled as he summoned them. 

Akira turned her attention back to cleaning up the kitchen and somehow managed to resist the urge to giggle as she listened to Kakashi and the pack getting comfortable. 

By the time she turned around, Kakashi was curled in on himself, asleep. The pack was all around him, snuggled in close and in varying stages of dozing-off. Pakkun was draped over Kakashi’s side and he beckoned to Akira with his paw.

“You can join us,” he said.

Akira grinned and hurried across the room. It was difficult to find a good spot to settle in but - after gently moving Guruko a bit to the side, she managed to cuddle close to Kakashi and wrap her arms around him.

“Only once, Hatake Kakashi,” she muttered, holding him tightly. “If you worry me like this again I’ll…” she trailed off, her throat tightening. 

Pakkun nodded and huffed in soft agreement as he rested his head on Kakashi’s shoulder and settled down to sleep. 

* * *

Akira stood with her team, watching Tsunade’s first speech as Hokage. 

“Will she be a good Hokage?” Kiyoko asked, looking between Tsunade and Akira.

“I believe she will,” Akira responded with a thoughtful nod.

“You sound surprised by that,” Masaru said.

Akira looked at him with a small smile. “How perceptive of you.”

Masaru shot her a flat look and Akira’s smile widened.

“I know that I don’t have what it takes to be a leader on the scale of a Kage,” Akira said, ruffling Masaru’s hair. As usual, he pushed her hand away, but couldn’t manage to repress a small smile. “So I’m always skeptical of those who think they do,”

“I think you’d be a good Hokage,” Kiyoko said and Akira laughed.

“Then you haven’t been paying attention.”

Kiyoko opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by Kotetsu appearing at Akira’s side.

“The Hokage wants to see you and Shiori in her office,” he whispered.

Akira nodded and Kotetsu vanished as quickly as he’d appeared. She looked out over the dispersing crowd of shinobi; it was far smaller than she’d like but it was good to see hope in faces that had been, so recently, grim and resigned.

“Come on,” she said, turning toward her team. “Our new Hokage wants to speak with us.”

“Us?” Masaru asked.

“Well, Shiori and myself,” Akira admitted with a small smirk. “But I see no reason for you two not to come along.”

“Her first day as Hokage, and Akira-sensei is already testing her boundaries,” Masaru muttered.

Akira chuckled and led them toward the Hokage’s office.

As they reached Tsunade’s office, Asuma and Shikamaru approached from the other direction. Akira watched with a smirk as Asuma looked at her three students, then shot Akira a curious glance. Her smirk widened and she gestured for Asuma and Shikamaru to enter the office first. 

Inside, the various proctors of the Chunin exams waited with stoic expressions in a semi-circle behind Tsunade’s desk. Kazuo was also there and Akira arched an eyebrow at him; a little warning would have been nice. Her brother’s lips twitched into a small smirk and Akira rolled her eyes; he really was the worst.

Akira pushed Shiori forward slightly, so the young Kagemura stood next to Shikamaru. Shiori glanced back, confused and a bit alarmed but Akira just smiled at her.

“Because they were interrupted,” Tsunade said after a moment of studying Shikamaru and Shiori. “It’s difficult to know what to do about the most recent Chunin Exams.” She sighed and looked down at her desk, flipping through some papers. “I’m tempted to call them a wash. Even before Orochimaru attacked, he interfered with the exams. And I wasn’t here, so I can’t reliably comment on the level of skill shown at any point in the process.” Tsunade sighed again and returned her attention to Shikamaru and Shiori. 

“However, after reading the notes of my predecessor,” she said, gesturing to the papers in front of her. “And speaking with your proctors, it seems that the two of you performed well throughout the exams, and in the attack afterward. They believe that you are both qualified to lead squads of your own and take on the more complex missions of a chunin. So, from this moment forth, Kagemura Shiori and Nara Shikamaru, congratulations; you’re chunin of Konoha. I trust you’ll live up to our expectations.

Akira watched as Shiori and Shikamaru exchanged stunned glances, before turning her attention to Asuma and sharing a knowing look. They were going to be celebrating hard this evening.

“You’re all dismissed,” Tsunade said, standing. “Except you, Akira, you and your team stay here.”

The others filed out, except, Akira noted, Kazuo, who resumed his place by the window and watched Kiyoko nearly tackle Shiori with what could have been mistaken as a fond expression - had it been on anyone’s face but his. 

“Congratulations,” Kiyoko said, bouncing on the balls of her feet even as she hugged Shiori. “I just knew you’d do it.”

“Thanks,” Shiori gasped, trying to wriggle out of Kiyoko’s hold.

It took an impatient cough from Tsunade to get Kiyoko to step back, though she kept an arm linked around Shiori’s. 

“Congratulations,” Masaru said quietly as he came to stand next to his teammates. 

“It looks like you have a good team,” Tsunade said to Akira, studying them closely.

“I do,” Akira said. “And they get better everyday.” 

Tsunade smiled and resumed her seat behind her desk. “Tell me honestly,” she said, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Shiori, Masaru, and Kiyoko. “How has Shiori being a Kagemura impacted your team’s ability to work together?

Akira watched as Shiori’s eyes widened and Kiyoko stiffened beside her, bristling like one of her cats before letting go of Shiori and stepping toward Tsunade’s desk.

“Shiori is a valuable member of our team and an amazing kunoichi,” she said, her voice barely below a yell. “It doesn’t matter what clan she’s from, she’s our teammate!”

Masaru stepped forward, looking vaguely ill, and put a hand on Kiyoko’s arm, trying to pull her back.

“No,” Kiyoko said, shaking him off. “I’m not going to let anyone else make Shiori feel bad about being a Kagemura. Not even the Hokage!”

Tsunade’s lips were drawn in a thin line, but Akira couldn’t help smirking. Nothing riled Kiyoko up more than threatening her team, and Akira couldn’t be more proud.

“In fact,” Kiyoko continued, undeterred by Tsunade’s stern expression. “We’re  _ lucky _ Shiori’s a Kagemura. She can do awesome things; her clan’s jutsu helped her get through the exams and saved lives during Orochimaru’s attack!”

“She’s right,” Masaru stepped in, his tone significantly more deferential than Kiyoko’s. “You asked how Shiori being a Kagemura has impacted our team; the answer is that the impact has been positive.” He put a hand on Kiyoko’s shoulder again, and this time she let him drag her back to stand next to Shiori.

Tsunade glanced over her shoulder at Kazuo, a smile spreading across her face. “You were right,” she said.

“Of course I was,” Kazuo responded.

“What?” Kiyoko looked between Kazuo and Tsunade, frowning with confusion.

“Shiori is chunin now,” Kazuo said. “While we were deciding whether or not to promote her, there was some discussion about whether or not others would be willing to follow a Kagemura captain.”

Kiyoko glared, though the expression wasn’t directed at anyone in particular. “Any shinobi worth the title would be willing to follow Shiori,” she muttered.

“I agree,” Tsunade said. “You’re all dismissed.”

Akira smiled as Kiyoko linked arms with Masaru and Shiori and started dragging them out of the office. 

“Come on,” Kiyoko said with a giggle. “We need to tell everyone and then we need to celebrate.”

“Kiyoko-” 

The sound of Shiori’s protests were muffled as the trio made their way down the hall. Akira smiled and turned to her brother, who had followed her out of Tsunade’s office.

“Thank you,” she said. 

Kazuo shrugged. “Shiori’s an asset, it would be stupid not to use her to her full potential.”

Akira hummed. “You can pretend to be as cold as you like, I know you’re fond of her.”

“Slander,” Kazuo responded. 

Akira laughed and Kazuo rolled his eyes.

“Now that Tsunade’s here, I’ll be heading north,” he said as the pair walked down the hall.

“North?”

“There are some hideouts that need to be scouted,” Kazuo responded. “It won’t do to have unknowns on our borders.”

Akira’s mind flashed to the Kagemura hideouts Seijiro told them about. “Scouting, huh?”

Kazuo nodded. “I convinced Tsunade it would be a good idea to get a read on who we might be dealing with. And if they’re friend or foe.”

Akira smiled, he could frame this mission however he wanted, but the only reason Kazuo did recon himself was if he was personally invested. “Be safe.”

“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, commenting, and kudos-ing(?)! It means so much to us that you're still following the story.


	47. Writing Haiku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV is Kakashi

Kakashi had been awake while Akira was out partying with Asuma over their student’s promotions. He only had a few more days of ordered relaxation ahead of him but he hated it. 

Getting up out of bed, he felt sluggish and slow. It wasn’t just the physical inactivity that drove him crazy, it was the lack of mental stimulation. While he loved a chance to catch up on his favorite Makeout books, there was only so much of that even he could take. 

He went into his living room, which had partially been taken over by Akira’s things. Despite the temptation, he’d been able to resist poking around. It wasn’t easy, but he respected Akira’s privacy and as tempting as it was to see what that brilliant mind of hers was working on, he was confident that he had the willpower to resist. Until today. Glancing around the table, he didn’t let his gaze linger on anything for long. What he did see, however, piqued his interest to an unbearable degree.

Sasori’s scorpion. Even though Akira had scorpions, this one was different, there was no mistaking where it came from. He frowned and gave into his curiosity. It was basically Akira’s fault for leaving him cooped up while she went out to play. 

He went over to the window and threw it open, standing and waiting by it. After about five minutes a gust of wind blew in strong enough that it stirred the papers on the desk. He sighed and kept waiting, at least this kind of waiting was interesting. He wondered about her obsession with Sasori.

Finally another gust swept into the room, sending the papers flying off the desk. He had his excuse. 

Kakashi went over to the table and started flicking through the pages, trying to understand what she was working on. He frowned a little, piecing it together. Most of her work had been lost during the break in at her place back before the attack on the village. It seemed like she was trying to put it all back together.

“You little sneak,” Akira laughed, appearing silently behind him. It was quite the feat, he had hardly felt her presence. 

Kakashi looked up at her. “The wind blew your papers around,” he shrugged. 

“Sure it did,” she rolled her eyes. 

He set the papers back on her table. “You seem unusually sober after a night out with Asuma.”

Akira laughed and shook her head, her chestnut hair cascading around her face in a fascinating - and endearing - way. “He’s still in the doghouse from when you went out with him and Iruka,” she grinned. “Anyway, I told him I couldn’t stay out late because you’d be bored, but apparently you found something interesting.”

“You said you thought Sasori was behind the raid on your house before. I thought it was because you were another poison maker. But it’s something more than that, isn't it?” He asked.

Akira sighed and went to shut the window before more wind blew in. “For him, it probably isn’t much more than that. Poison makers are secretive and possessive; they take offense when others try to uncover their formulas, naturally.” 

“Naturally.” Kakashi nodded. “But for you, it’s more than that?” 

“That’s true…” Akira said, turning her back to him. 

Kakashi wondered about what she was thinking,he wanted to ask, but if she wasn’t ready to be open he wasn’t going to push her. 

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” She turned around, smiling, changing the conversation entirely. 

“Bed rest is highly overrated,” he frowned. 

“You say that now, but perhaps it’s because you were in bed alone?” Akira hummed, stepping forward and putting a hand on his chest. 

Kakashi smiled with one side of his mouth. “I’m sure that’s it,” he agreed as he allowed himself to be coaxed back to bed, trying to ignore the sting of being shut out. 

He laid back in bed, watching her undress. She told him about her evening, sliding on an oversized shirt and stepping into the bathroom, talking loud enough he could hear even as she brushed her teeth. 

It was a little funny that the two of them shared a best friend. It seemed as though she saw an almost completely different side of Asuma than Kakashi did. 

Akira smiled and came back to the bedroom, standing in the doorway. Seeing her with that fond smile and her hair a little mussed, looking comfortable and relaxed, Kakashi smiled softly, realizing that a temporary sting was nothing. They’d come so far to get to this point. 

“Sasori killed my parents,” she said, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. The small smile didn’t leave her face, but it took on a nervous tinge. Kakashi recognized it as the beginning of her mask - that cocky smirk she wore when she didn’t want people to read her.

Kakashi was surprised he hadn’t heard about it, but then again, he had just been a child himself at the time. “I’m sorry,” he said, understanding that it wasn’t enough but knowing Akira would take how he’d intended. 

She came over to the bed, sighing as she sat on the edge, and shook her head. The movement chased away her mask and she offered Kakashi a glimpse of weariness and sadness. “For the record, my brother disagrees. He knows Mother died at Sasori’s hands, but father? He doesn’t blame Sasori there.”

Kakashi waited for her to elaborate, not reaching for her and letting her go at her own pace. 

“Mother was attacked by Sasori and poisoned. Father was in the group coming to aid her. He alone survived out of both groups. When he got back to the village, he was changed. Our mother’s death was too much for him. He would lock himself in his study all the time, not allowing anyone besides me in, even Kazuo was blocked out.” She made a sad sound.

It was probably more insight into Kazuo’s character than Kakashi had ever had and he filed the information away. 

“Before he fled, father gathered two samples of toxin. We worked on them obsessively, him even more so. But he… he just gave up on life. Trying to crack Sasori’s toxin is nearly impossible and the hopelessness just made everything else too much for Father. He died. Officially, his cause of death was from injuries sustained in the attack.” She shook her head. “Before he died he made me promise to figure it out. To find the antidote and solve the one problem he couldn’t. So far, I’ve been failing.” Akira ran her fingers through her hair and tugged on the ends. 

A host of expressions flitted across her face and Kakashi read them all: her annoyance at a problem unsolved, her dogged enjoyment of a tricky puzzle, disappointment in herself, sadness, respect. Kakashi loved watching Akira think, when she felt safe and let her expressions flow freely, even when he wished he could turn her thoughts to happier things.

“Anyway,” she shrugged and rolled her shoulders, looking at Kakashi. “That’s the story.” 

“You’ll figure it out. I’m sure of it,” he told her. 

She forced a little smile and crawled up so she was sitting in his lap like she belonged there, which he was perfectly fine with. 

“Thank you,” she kissed him softly. “I want to. I need to. It’ll be my own method of revenge against him for killing my parents.” 

Kakakshi quirked a small smile. “That’s a type of revenge I approve of,” he agreed. 

“Oh good. I do so love to have your approval,” she giggled and kissed him again. But then, much to his disappointment she pulled away, laying out next to him in bed. “Now you have to sleep. Bed rest doesn’t involve any sort of playing in bed.” 

“You’re a tease,” he chuckled but didn’t object, laying down with a weary sigh. 

* * *

Kakashi stood in front of Tsunade with Akira beside him, half worried he’d been dragged in for another lecture. Since she’d become the fifth, he’d had his ear bent by her a few times in just a few days. 

“I know you’re not fully recovered yet, Kakashi, but we need both of you on this mission.” Technically he was off bed rest, but he should be on light duty, she had said. However, it looked like she was being forced to change her mind. 

Kakashi was surprised. With so few jounin left in the village sending two off on a mission was unusual. But more than that, sending him and Akira together… of course they could work well together but they weren’t a usual sort of team. 

“The Fire Lord’s new brother-in law, Lord Arata-” Tsunade said, picking up a folder with the Fire Lord’s emblem on it and opening it. 

Akira snickered and covered her mouth. Apparently she knew the name. 

Tsunade quirked a brow but went on, “He’s quite influential and he is in charge of several positions in the government. Including deciding how much funding we get for rebuilding efforts. So when he requested two guards for an escort mission, and asked for you both by name. I hope you’ll understand that I wasn’t in a position to decline.” Her words were professional but it was clear she was pissed off. 

Akira made a frustrated sound. “That pompous, jumped up little toad. He’s always been trying to seem important and now he’s using his new wife to gain some more ground.” 

Tsunade nodded, “Yes. I understand you two are acquainted. You’ve worked a protection detail for him before?” She looked around the mass of papers on her desk, trying to find the old mission notes.

Akira rolled her eyes. “Protection my foot. The man just wanted me for arm candy.” 

“And how did I get roped up in this?” Kakashi asked. Though it was amusing that Akira had a past relationship with this Lord. He was going to have to ask her about it later. 

“He seems to think you’re rather important to this village,” Tsunade sighed. 

Kakashi frowned. Of course he’d go. But it wasn’t a good time to be away from his students. Sasuke was at a very dangerous tipping point, Kakashi could feel it. And he’d promised Sakura. His promises meant something to him and he didn’t want to let her down. 

Tsundae gave up looking for the other folder and poured herself a drink. “Anyway, you need to do what he wants, be the soul of tact. Escort him across the kingdom and then get back here as soon as possible.” 

Kakashi nodded. He looked at Akira and gave her a nod as well. He was packed and ready to go, as always. He just needed a little while to give his student a well deserved lecture. 

* * *

It turned out that not only was Akira acquainted with Lord Arata, but that he’d proposed to her about three years ago. Kakashi could only imagine how she had reacted. The mission was painfully dull. They just had to walk alongside a palanquin that Lord Arata was riding in. Kakashi stood on one side, wondering if he could get away with reading his book; while Akira stood on the other side, having to give polite responses to Lord Arata flirting with her. 

“I really am so delighted to see you again,” Lord Arata was saying, half leaning out of his palanquin to talk to Akira. “It has been far too long.” 

“It has, my Lord,” Akira said. Kakashi couldn’t see her face but he knew she’d have a pleasant mask on. “It seems you’ve been very prosperous since last we met.” 

“Oh very,” He said, clearly happy she’d noticed. “Do you regret not being my bride?” 

Akira laughed, probably more sincere than she’d meant to. “My Lord has made a far smarter match. It would be a shame to see a man so refined tied to a rough creature such as myself.” 

Kakashi very nearly laughed. 

Lord Arata made a sound of astonishment, “A rough and fierce creature? But that is what I like! You’re so wild. You would have done well to marry me and learned to tame yourself.” 

By a miracle Kakashi didn’t laugh at that, though he did lean back to try and catch Akira’s eye. 

“On the other hand, this one is far too docile,” Lord Arata gestured at Kakashi. “I heard he was the most important jounin in the village, but I do not see it.” 

Kakashi kept his eye on the road ahead. He suspected the little man didn’t see much, he was too busy enjoying his wealth and position. 

Akira, on the other hand, was more willing to play his little games. “Oh my lord, he only appears to be unconcerned and nonchalant. It is to draw out enemies. Though of course my Lord was clever enough to know that and you were simply playing along.” 

Lord Arata looked between the two of them and then nodded. “Yes. That’s it. I’m wildly important, you know. Many people want to kill me.” 

Many of them would be justified, Kakashi thought with a sigh. He should have brought Naruto along just to spice things up. 

“You are very important, my Lord. And so courageous to make this journey. The Land of Fire would be lost without you,” Akira said. 

Kakashi looked over at her, thinking she was laying it on a little thick there. She had dropped back enough to catch his eye and she grinned at him.

He made the bull hand sign at her, calling her on her bullshit. 

She burst out a bubble of laughter that she turned into a cough. “Sorry, so dusty out here,” she said to Lord Arata.

“You’re welcome to join me in here,” he said, scooting over for her. 

Akira coughed again. “Tempting. But I must remain ever vigilant,” she said with what almost sounded like regret. 

“Then perhaps when we stop for the night,” he suggested boldy. 

“We would guard you better from outside your room.” Kakashi finally had to speak up there.

“I suppose.” Lord Arata then began to sulk but it provided them with a break from his talking. 

* * *

“I hate that man,” Akira said quietly as she entered the small room next to Lord Arata’s. They’d have to stay in an inn tonight because apparently the dust that Akira had been coughing up had started to bother his lungs. 

Kakashi was sitting in the corner reading. Of course he’d been listening to next door, but he knew that there wasn’t anything Lord Arata could throw at Akira that she wouldn’t get out of.

“You two seemed to be getting along so well,” he teased with a drawl, looking up from his book. 

“I suppose I should play the stoic like you, hm? Just ignore everyone and they’ll think I’m all that?” She teased right back, sitting down on a futon on the far side of the room. 

He laughed. “Perhaps. Except I am all that,” he said. 

She laughed and curled her hair behind her ear. “We just tell you that so you don’t get all mopy and depressed.” 

Kakashi laughed and smiled. “I didn’t realize I was so fragile. Thank you.”

Akira smiled and got up, crossing the small room over to him. She approached him slowly, putting one foot on either side of his legs before sitting down in his lap. He let his book fall against his chest, giving her his full attention. 

Kakashi raised his eyebrows. They were just in a small room and they couldn’t really do anything, but he wasn’t about to push her away. She put her hands on his shoulders and touched his mask. There was a seriousness to her look that said she wasn’t just here for a cuddle.

He recognized the look on her face. She wanted to talk. The days after the attack on the village they’d been too busy to talk, then his little fight with Itachi, and he’d been sick, then here. It was no wonder she wanted to talk. But he wasn’t sure he was ready. Once they talked it would be real. And once it was real… he wasn’t sure what would happen. He knew she liked him well enough, and of course he loved her. But there was so much more to this than just love or liking. 

“Kakashi,” she said softly, eyes scanning his face. 

“We can’t really talk like this, with your former fiance in the next room,” he chuckled, trying to deflect her. 

She chuckled but she saw right through him no doubt. “He wishes he was my former fiance,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder and starting to get up.

He reached for her and pulled her in for a kiss, unwilling to let her go, even when he should. They both laughed as her lips met just his mask. She smiled and pulled down his mask, giving him a gentle kiss. 

He let her go after that, which was hard to do, but technically they were here on work. She did grab his book though with a playful smile. 

“What are you doing with that?” He wondered, knowing she didn't like his book. “Going to read it to your lord?” 

She giggled. “Just a little bedtime reading for me since I volunteered you to go on patrols for most of the night,” she said before flopping back down on her futon. 

The next day he was tired from lack of sleep, thanks Akira, and he really couldn’t stand anymore of Lord Arata’s prattling. 

When they stopped for the hundredth time so his Lordship could stretch his legs. Kakashi took out the book Akira had returned to him this morning. He pulled it out of his pocket and shot her a look, but she was conveniently retying her boots and not looking. She’d swapped his book with something called Haiku for Lovers.

He chuckled and opened it anyway, wondering what game she was playing now. The first few poems were pretty standard. But when he turned the third page he found she’d written in small and tidy writing, a dirty haiku. 

_ I wait for your plea _

_ Your shuddering surrender _

_ Desperate and wanting _

He laughed and turned the page, looking for more. The next one made him blush and he was glad he had a face mask. He looked up and saw Akira watching him and realized from her smirk his ears had turned red. 

* * *

With relief, they finally delivered the troublesome Lord to his summer palace. 

“Let’s hope it’s another three years before I see him again,” Akira said, rolling her eyes as they left. 

Kakashi nodded. Thanks to all the Lord’s shenanigans, it had cost them another day. “We’ll have to get back about half way and then stop for the night,” he said reluctantly. He couldn’t help but feel that they were missing something back home. 

Akira looked over at him. “Don’t worry, Kakashi-senpai. It’ll be fine,” she teased.

He smiled at her and they started heading back. “Do I get my book back anytime soon?” 

“Have you finished the one one I gave you?” She asked. 

“All the dirty ones,” he admitted with a chuckle. 

She laughed, “You have to read the others too.” 

They made good time, the two of them moving easily through the woods. As the sun set, he sighed. The two of them could push for home, of course they could make it without sleep, they were trained jounin. But he wondered if they really should. He’d spent a lifetime learning to trust his instincts and while his instincts told him to hurry home, there was also something saying he could wait and return home tomorrow. 

Though he wondered if the second suggestion came from the place inside that wanted more time with the woman next to him. In which case he didn’t blame himself but couldn’t really listen to it. 

“Are we going to stop for the night?” Akira asked next to him. “I noticed a nice stream, we could probably have some fish and enjoy a peaceful night before getting back tomorrow morning.” 

Kakashi smiled a little, “Would you like to?” 

She nodded, “Tsunade asked us to get home, but there is no reason to rush. The difference of seven hours won’t change much.” 

Kakashi nodded. “I agree.” he said.

They followed the stream for a couple more hours until it was almost fully dark and then they stopped. Akira offered to start the fire and cook if Kakashi would catch some fish. He nodded, rolling up his pants and stripping off his long sleeve shirt. 

This time of year it was easy to grab two fish from the stream for their dinner which he brought back to Akira. 

He pulled out his new book and sat with his back against a tree to read while the fish cooked. He smiled a little when Akira came to sit beside him, her fingers tracing his ANBU tattoo which she did often when they were together with less clothes on. 

He was content to simply read with her next to him but she had a different idea. Akira sighed and kissed his tattoo.

“This has fascinated me for years,” she said, “watching you train; so efficient, so skilled.” She sighed longingly and ran her hand over his arm. “So strong.” 

Before he could formulate a reply she moved so she was sitting on his lap again. 

“For years, I’ve translated blinks and glances into paragraphs of expression from you.” She traced the edge of his mask along his cheeks. 

He watched her, curious if she was being playful or serious tonight. 

“Now,” she went on, smiling, “I’m one of the few people who have seen behind the mask. Take it off.”

He smiled, normally she had no trouble helping herself to removing his barriers. He pushed up his forehead protector, and pulled down his mask for her. In answer to his previous thought, he realized she was serious. There was that air about her tonight that there had been last night. Only tonight he wasn’t so sure he could escape or delay her. 

Akira leaned forward and kissed the scar under his left eye which made his heart tremble. 

“For years,” she said softly, “I’ve watched you struggle and suffer. Every challenge you faced only made you wiser, kinder, and better than you were before.” She kissed a small scar on his cheek, a relic of some battle so long ago he’d forgotten how he got it. “I’ve known you for years and yet you still surprise me.

“I’ve told you, once I realize I want something, I go for it.” Akira was blushing now, but the moonlight was framing her face from one side and the firelight from the other and Kakashi wasn’t about to stop her from speaking. If he’d ever been in more awe of someone’s beauty he couldn’t remember it. 

“It may take me a while to realize what I want,” she said, her eyes flicking away with embarrassment about the admission. She blushed more and looked back at him. “But one thing I am not, is a woman of fickle passions.” 

Throughout it all he had been silent, and now he realized she was holding her breath while she waited for his reply. They were on the edge of something, they could both feel it. How long had he wanted this moment to come and now he felt unable to speak? 

Her fingertips idly danced along his jaw and he reached out to her, the pad of his thumbs tracing her cheekbones. Such a confession deserved one in turn, but he didn’t have the words, not yet. 

It turned out loving from afar was far easier than loving up close. From afar he’d been able to protect her, help her, be there for her, but he’d never had to let her into his mind or feelings. Now that she was here, a breath away from him, she wanted more than he’d ever shared with anyone. Akira deserved a partner who wasn’t holding anything back, the way she never held anything back. However, doing that was more intimidating than he could have ever fathomed. Did he want to share with her and return her confession? Of course. He felt the same as she did, watching her grow and change into the lovely person she was now had been fascinating even before they’d been friends. And he didn’t like to believe he was a man of fickle passions either. But it turned out that, perhaps, he was in for more than he’d anticipated. So one more time, he hoped she’d forgive him while he played it safe. Just this one more time. Later he’d find a way to open up the way she had, later he’d tell her how much he’d loved her, later he’d tell her everything. For now, while she sat breathless and blushing in his lap, he was going to try to express without words how he felt. 

He slid his hand back through her hair and gently pulled her forward. “Show me,” he whispered.

* * *

In the morning they were up and moving with the dawn. Kakashi had a growing sense of unease, and it wasn’t just because he’d left things unsaid last night. He feared they’d made the wrong choice to stop.

“Kakashi,” Akira said at his side.

He looked at her. 

“I… do you also have this feeling?” She asked. 

“Yes.” He sighed, if she had it as well they were in trouble. 

“Let’s run,” she suggested and he readily agreed. 

They didn’t get far before they saw a messenger hawk above them. The two came to a halt along the road and the hawk came down, landing on Akira’s outstretched arm. 

Kakashi took the paper from her, knowing code by heart he had no trouble reading the message. 

“Sasuke is gone,” he said, his voice was hollow, fear and pain brimming deep inside him but he pushed them away for now. “Shikamaru and Shiori are leading a team to go after him. We’re to intercept them and try to help.” 

Akira looked a little unsteady but nodded. Thankfully she didn’t try to say anything just now. They both needed their focus for the mission at hand. 

Kakashi sent a quick note back to the village that they’d received the mission and they were off. 

Thanks to the ninken, they picked up the trail quickly but Pakkun brought them to a halt with a sniff. 

“Shiori went that way with Masaru and Kiyoko. Shikamaru, Naruto, and the others went that way.” He pointed his paws in opposite directions. 

Kakashi looked at Akira, they stood a better chance of catching their students apart but they didn’t know what they’d end up facing. 

“You go after Naruto, I’ll track down Shiori,” Akira said, sparing him having to make the choice. 

He nodded. “Take Akino with you to keep tracking. I’ll use the rest of the nineken this way,” he said before running off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and special thanks to everyone who has left kudos and commented. We love reading your thoughts on the story thus far!


	48. Sasuke!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV: Kiyoko

Kiyoko sat with Shiori and Masaru at a small park near the hospital. Masaru was there a lot these days, helping Emi out. Most of the people injured in the attack were well enough now to be sent home, but hospitals never lacked for patients and Konoha was still down a scary amount of doctors. Kiyoko was glad Masaru was helping out; even if it made training together as a team more difficult.

“I wonder what Akira-sensei’s mission is,” Shiori said, breaking the comfortable silence and glancing toward the Hokage’s office.

“It must be a big deal,” Kiyoko answered with a shrug, tugging at the grass next to her. “I heard she and Kakashi-sensei both went. What kind of mission needs two jounin at a time like this? And should Kakashi-sensei even be going on missions yet? He just got out of the hospital.” Kiyoko realized she was rambling but Shiori and Masaru kindly didn’t say anything about it. 

“Emi said he’s fine,” Masaru answered. “But you’re right that it’s odd for two jounin to be sent on a mission right now.”

“Hey, Shiori,” Kiyoko said, nudging her friend and grinning. “Think you could pull rank and get some answers?”

Shiori laughed softly and shook her head. “As far as I can tell, there are no real benefits to being chunin. I don’t even know if it’s formalized yet, I haven’t sworn another oath.”

“Are you going to have to?” Masaru asked.

Shiori had explained the oath process to both of them when they were first made a team; how, after every promotion, she was expected to re-swear loyalty to Konoha on behalf of the Kagemura. Kiyoko had no idea what that would mean now, with most of the Kagemura gone rogue.

Shiori shrugged and sighed. She looked tired. Kiyoko glanced at Masaru and couldn’t help noticing that he looked tired too. It made sense, they were all working hard to help the Village recover. But still, they were too young to be having bags under their eyes. 

“Do I look as tired as you two?” Kiyoko asked. “Because I feel like it.”

Masaru chuckled and Shiori shot her a dirty look before straightening her posture and trying to look more alert.

“You look pretty tired,” Masaru answered. “But definitely not as tired as I feel.”

Kiyoko stretched back on the grass, looking up at the cloudy sky. “I’m not sleeping well,” she admitted finally. “I keep having nightmares.”

She glanced toward Masaru and Shiori and found them both nodding. 

“Yeah,” Masaru said. “I had them for a while, after that first mission outside the Village, then they mostly stopped. But now, if I don’t wake up more than once a night it feels like an accomplishment.”

Kiyoko nodded and scowled; it was the same for her. And if the grim expression on Shiori’s face was any indication, it was the same for Shiori too. 

“I know we said we wouldn’t let them bother us, and we’d just get over it. But it doesn’t seem like that’s happening,” Shiroi said softly. 

It was true, just a couple weeks ago they’d all promised it was no big deal and they’d simply grow up and out of having nightmares. Kiyoko sighed. If only growing up could happen faster. How long did it take to develop a skin tough enough to stop seeing the faces of those you’d killed? She didn’t know, but hopefully not much longer. 

“There you three are!”

The cheerful voice of Takara-san startled Kiyoko out of her thoughts and she looked up to find the baker walking toward them with a smile. 

“I’ve been looking for you,” she said, plopping down on the grass next to them. “As she was leaving town yesterday, Akira-san asked me to give you these.” She handed them each a small bundle wrapped in brightly colored paper; pink for Kiyoko, purple for Masaru, and green for Shiori. “Go ahead and open them!”

Kiyoko grinned and tore into the paper as carefully as she could manage in her excitement. She could tell from the smell that whatever was inside was going to be delicious. Kiyoko gasped in delight when she revealed a collection of delicately frosted cookies in the shapes of flowers and animals. They were almost too lovely to eat. Almost.

“Thank you, Takara-san,” Shiori said, bowing slightly. “These look marvelous.”

Masaru and Kiyoko echoed her thanks and Takara-san smiled widely. “You’re so welcome. And congratulations on your promotion, Shiori.”

Kiyoko grinned as Shiori blushed faintly and thanked Takara-san again. Even when it was praise, Shiori prefered not to get attention, but Kiyoko was happy to see people acknowledging her best friend’s skill and effort. There just wasn't enough of that in this village.

“I thought I’d find you all celebrating,” Takara-san continued. “I hope you’ve been taking some time to revel in all your accomplishments and not just working yourselves to exhaustion everyday.”

Masaru grimaced, though Kiyoko suspected it was intended to be a smile. “Working helps,” he muttered.

Takara-san’s smile fell and her expression became worried.

Kiyoko forced a laugh and waved her hands, trying to brush away Masaru’s comment. They’d decided to get over all this, hadn’t they? “He means, we want to be helpful, right?”

Takara-san smiled again, but it was the kind of smile Kiyoko had seen on Akira-sensei’s face when Kiyoko was trying to be tough even when she didn’t feel tough. Why did all the adults in this village see through her so easily?!

“It does feel good to work, and be helpful,” Takara-san agreed. “But it’s okay not to feel good right now. Sometimes, I feel awful. Especially at night, when things get quiet and there’s nothing to distract me.”

She smiled at the surprised looks on their faces and actually chuckled a little. “Honestly, I love you shinobi but you’re just the worst at talking through things like this. We’ve all been through something terrible and it’s okay to admit that it affected you. I don’t know a single person in this village that isn’t having a nightmare, or getting startled by a loud noise, or waking up in the morning and hoping it was all a bad dream.”

The three of them all looked at each other, wondering if it was true. Kiyoko certainly couldn’t picture someone like Kakashi-sensei having nightmares for instance. But if it was true, and there was no shame in it, then maybe she could feel a bit better. Just a bit. 

“But, when does it stop?” Masaru asked.

Takara-san’s smile was sad as she answered. “It’s different for everyone,” she said. “And there are ups and downs. You could go weeks feeling like you’ve put this behind you and something will bring it up again and you’ll be right back to where you are today. But that’s just the process.”

Kiyoko pouted, that wasn’t a very helpful answer. She wanted this to be over now. 

Takara-san smiled at her. “I know, it’s no fun at all,” she said. “But the good thing is, we all have each other, and we can understand what we’re all going through. So, anytime this is feeling too heavy, you can come to my bakery, have some cookies, and we can talk about it.”

Masaru shot her a skeptical look and Takara-san laughed. “Or we can just eat cookies, if you prefer.”

Masaru ducked his head, blushing at being caught giving her a look.

“Thank you, Takara-san,” Shiori said again, her voice even quieter than usual. But Shiori looked lighter and not quite as tired. 

Takara-san smiled at all of them. “We’ll get through this,” she said, sounding a lot more sure than Kiyoko felt. “And we can take care of each other until then.”

Well, Kiyoko liked the sound of that, at least.

Takara-san waved goodbye, smiling at them all. 

“You know, we could skip training today, eat all these cookies and have a nap out here in the sunshine.” Kiyoko suggested with a small smile. 

Masaru glanced at the hospital and then looked back at his teammates, “Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.” He agreed, smiling a little. 

* * *

Kiyoko was playing with Akamaru, smiling happily. Things were still pretty busy for all the genin around the village and out of it. So it wasn’t often she got time to hang out with Kiba and Akamaru anymore. After their group nap the other day, Tsunade had found out the three of them were lazing around and she got them busy again. 

“Do you think life will ever return to normal?” She asked as she tossed a stick for Akamaru to fetch. Sometimes he liked normal puppy games and not all just shinobi training. 

Kiba’s eyes followed the stick and Kiyoko smiled, wondering if she threw another one if Kiba would chase it. 

“You mean in the village?” He asked. 

“Yeah, everyone seems… Off still. We finally have a new Hokage but things are different.” After a solid night of sleep last night she noticed it more today. There was something different around town. 

Kiba shrugged a little. “Sis says that after the last attack on the village it took some time for things to calm down. You must be pretty sorry to miss out on a mission with Akira-sensei.” 

Kiyoko sighed and took the stick that Akamaru had brought back. “Really sorry. Technically we can now do missions with Shiori in charge, but we’ve just been running around the village doing odd jobs for now. I liked our mission last time better. It felt like growing up, like we were finally going to be allowed to do real work, but then it was back to the same old same old with Tsunade-sama in charge.”

“I get it.” Kiba nodded. “I feel kinda the same, Kurenai-sensei still treats us like we just graduated. If only we’d been able to pass that damn exam.” He frowned. 

“There’ll be another one before you know it.” She said, scratching Akamaru’s ears. 

But calming down after the attack wasn’t quite what she meant. Things were still wrong around town. Her sister still wasn’t quite as bright as she had been. All the genin seemed a little distant and strange aside from Naruto. At first she wondered if everyone was having trouble sleeping like her team had. But there seemed to be something else. Like a fear that had crept into the town where everything had been comfortable and easy before.

“It’s a loss of innocence maybe…” Kiyoko mused as she tossed the stick again. 

“What?” Kiba said, stepping closer. 

“I think we all kinda lost our innocence. Maybe that’s why we’re all acting funny.” She didn’t like it one bit. Growing up was only natural and she longed for it, but did it have to come with this sort of morose cloud hanging over everyone?

Kiba looked at her, his head tipped to the side. “Umm maybe?” He didn’t seem to be following her train of thought. 

Kiyoko sighed and nodded, giving Akamaru a little pet when he brought the stick back.

“I know what you need, how about we go out to eat some bbq?” Kiba suggested, smiling at her. 

Kiyoko looked up at him and giggled softly, it was sweet how he was trying to cheer her up. “That would be nice. Like a date?” 

“Uh, sure.” Kiba blushed and nodded. 

“How about a double date?” She grinned, standing up and looking eager again. They might as well spread the joy around. 

Kiba wrinkled his nose a little, “Look, I know Masaru is my best friend, but double dates with him? He has this dating persona and he’s really flirty and grabby with his dates and it’s just like, dude, who are you….. You have no idea, I went out with him and Shinichi once and he was totally different than his normal chill persona.” He trailed off and shrugged. 

Kiyoko laughed and kissed Kiba’s cheek.It was funny thinking of Masaru acting so differently on dates, she’d have to make note of that and check it out sometime. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t thinking of them. I’ll meet you for dinner in thirty minutes. Don’t be late!” She waved as she dashed off back home. 

On her way, she stopped at Shiori’s house. She knocked on the door eagerly and let herself in. “Shiori!!” She shouted urgently. 

From the sound of clattering dishes, it was clear she’d surprised Shiori. “What?!” Shiori dashed out of her kitchen, clearly in ‘where is the danger’ mode. 

“Double date, you have exactly twenty-six minutes to meet us at the BBQ House!” Kiyoko grinned and ran off before Shiori could object. There were times when being the fastest was best. 

Quickly she ran to the Hyuuga compound and slipped inside looking for Neji. She got a few looks as she wandered from place to place, but she moved quickly and with confidence and nobody stopped her thankfully. 

She came out to a training yard and did an internal cheer when she saw Neji and Hinata walking to the side of the yard, both panting and looking tired. But neither visibly injured. 

“Neji!” Kiyoko bounced over to them, “Hey, Hinata.” She waved. 

Hinata smiled and waved, but blushed at all the attention Kiyoko was attracting. 

“I came looking for you Neji!” Kiyoko said, bubbling with excitement. “In exactly nineteen minutes you and Shiori and Kiba and I are having our first double date! BBQ House! Don’t be late. I have to go get ready! See you soon!” She was already running off and waving as she finished giving him directions. It was clear from his blush and frustrated gestures that he wasn’t exactly pleased.

But honestly, this was the best way of spreading a little joy. Shiori and Neji needed that little push and this was the perfect way to do it! Kiyoko couldn’t be more pleased with herself at this moment.

Dashing home she quickly got ready. She threw on a pink sweater dress and soft knee-high boots. It left her time to actually style her hair, wearing it down and long with a few little braids in it to keep it off her face. Kiyoko winked happily at herself in the mirror and hurried to the restaurant, just on time. 

Neji and Kiba were already there. Kiyoko noted with pleasure that Kiba had put on a clean shirt and looked rather handsome with his hair brushed. Neji must have broken a speed record even Kiyoko wouldn’t manage, he was in fresh clothes and looked completely calm and composed. 

Kiba gave Kiyoko a little look. He had just barely started to get along with Neji, and probably didn’t find the idea of double dating with him any better than watching Masaru get handsy with someone. 

She grinned and pecked Kiba’s cheek with a little kiss. “I’m glad you both made it on time. Now we just need to have Shiori… There she is!” Kiyoko waved happily. 

Shiori was wearing a black dress with grey embroidery, so she looked as dark as ever, but the dress was fairly pretty and she’d done her hair nicely. 

“Neji,” Shiori’s face softened when she saw him and she stepped up to the group. “I’m sorry if Kiyoko roped you into this.” She blushed a little.

Kiyoko huffed indignantly. How else did shy people ever get dates?

Neji smiled a little, the corners of his mouth picking up, “It was a surprise. But a good one. Yes?” He looked at her, a touch of concern on his brow. 

Shiori smiled and nodded, “A very good one.” She agreed.

Kiyoko felt little butterflies inside, happy as she watched them. She beamed at the three of them and took Kiba’s hand. “Let’s go eat.” She took him inside. 

Kiba chuckled softly and went with her. “You’re kinda scary.” He smiled at her. 

Kiyoko grinned, “And don’t you forget it.” She squeezed his hand.

As they sat in their booth, Kiyoko purposely made sure that Kiba wasn’t sitting across from Neji. She didn’t need them to have frosty silence or whatever it was they did. This was supposed to be fun. 

Shiori gave Kiyoko looks that alternated between daggers and pleas for help. 

Okay, rocky start, but it’d get better for sure, Kiyoko smiled at her. She started talking about the cleanup efforts as an easy neutral ground and Shiori relaxed, happier in the realm of the technical. The two boys were a little more difficult but they tried their best and before long, everyone was feeling more natural and relaxed. 

“The thing that will be hardest to recover from is the shock,” Neji said with a sad sigh. 

Kiba nodded, “Yeah, Kiyoko was just saying something about a loss of innocence?” Kiba wrinkled his nose again, trying to remember what she’d said. 

Kiyoko nodded. She didn’t miss the look Neji gave her. It was one she got often, the ‘oh I didn’t know you weren’t all just sugar and soda pop fizz’ look. Kiyoko shrugged. She was used to people thinking that there wasn’t anything serious going on in her mind. And to be fair, she wasn’t the most serious person. But she didn’t think she totally deserved her reputation as an airhead. 

“You’re right,” Shiori nodded at Kiyoko, “That’s exactly what happened. Especially for our generation. Knowing attacks can happen here at home isn’t an easy pill to swallow.” 

Kiba nodded and then shrugged as their food arrived. “But we’ll get stronger in the long run.” He said, picking up some meat and putting it on the grill.” 

“We can only hope.” Kiyoko smiled, trying to not remember how close she’d come to dying. She’d better get stronger. 

Watching Neji and Shiori carefully trying to watch each other out of the corners of their eyes was probably the most amusing part of the meal. The two of them ended up blushing a few times when they were caught gazing. 

Kiyoko grinned and turned to Kiba, hoping he didn’t mind so much being out with Neji. He had just stuffed about three pieces of meat in his mouth and didn’t seem like he was bothered at all. Kiyoko laughed. 

“No more meat for you, have some veggies and leave some meat for the rest of us.” She pulled the dish away, Kiba’s eyes growing large. 

“You’re starting to sound like my sister,” Kiba complained. 

Neji laughed into his sleeve and Kiba shot him a glare. 

“I thought after dinner we should go for a walk!” Kiyoko said quickly, trying to avert any fighting. 

“Walking is nice.” Shiori smiled and glanced hopefully at Neji. Well, Kiyoko could tell it was hopeful. Shiori didn’t have a face very easy to read so she could have also looked annoyed. 

“That would be very agreeable.” Neji nodded, apparently reading her well. 

They all walked down by the lake for a little while before Kiyoko grabbed Kiba’s sleeve and held him back. The couple ahead went on, talking softly to each other and not noticing that they were suddenly alone. 

“Perfect.” Kiyoko grinned and led Kiba in the opposite direction. 

“Double dates with Neji aren’t what I’d call perfect.” Kiba rolled his eyes. 

Kiyoko smiled at him. “Thank you for doing it anyway. It’s exactly what I needed.” 

“Is that how you set Masaru up on all his dates, just strong-arming him?” Kiba chuckled, it didn’t sound like an insult, though from anyone else Kiyoko might think it was. 

“I can be subtle when the time calls for it. But sometimes, you just need to give people a little… push.” She grinned and at the word push, she shoved Kiba hard as she could, sending him toppling into the lake. 

Kiba landed with a big splash and sat up spitting water, looking shocked, “You did not just do that!” Akamaru barked at Kiba, though it kinda sounded like a laugh. 

“Me and my strong-arming I guess.” Kiyoko laughed. 

Kiba jumped to his feet and gave a playful growl before lunging at her. 

Kiyoko squealed and started running, Kiba and Akamaru hot on her heels and ready for revenge. 

They made it about as far as Kiba’s house before she tripped on a root in the dark and tumbled down into the sweet-smelling grass. 

Kiba had ditched his wet jacket somewhere along the route and as he rolled onto the grass to tackle her, he was only mostly damp. 

Kiyoko squealed and laughed as she was tackled. She wrapped her arms around him and rolled them over in the grass and kissed him soundly. It was a little new and frightening but fun to kiss like this, their hearts both pounding from the run. 

“Ouch.” Kiba muttered after a minute. 

Kiyoko pulled back and looked at him, “Did I hurt you?” She tried to pull herself off of him. 

“It’s that damn root.” He laughed and flipped them over again, rolling them further down the hill. 

Kiyoko laughed and pressed against him, pulling him down into a kiss, her fingers tangling in his unruly hair. 

Kiba groaned softly against her mouth, his hand tentatively starting to explore Kiyoko’s body. She smiled at him and let him touch her breast. It was more odd than it was pleasurable but she was more than willing to try. 

She turned her head to the side, shyly offering her neck to Kiba. He didn’t need to be asked twice, or even once in this case. He kissed down her neck and tried biting her gently, though with his teeth it didn’t feel so gentle. But that was okay with her, it felt surprisingly good and she found herself moaning softly. 

“That feels good.” She smiled and stroked Kiba’s back. 

He put his other hand in her hair, stroking it and petting it, normally her hair was pulled back and inaccessible but apparently he was seizing the chance to run his fingers through it. 

She made a small happy sound for him and pressed closer, hoping for more. 

His knee was between her legs, supporting him so he wasn’t totally laying on her and squishing her. Kiyoko pressed down a little against his thigh, wrapping her legs around him. 

Kiba groaned again. “Kiyoko…” He panted her name and kissed her. She didn’t think she’d ever heard her name sound so amazing before. 

Not so far away they heard the barking of dogs and Kiba lifted his head, sniffing the air. “Damn. That’s one of Hana’s ninken. He’ll tattle that we’re out here.” 

“So? Hana won’t mind will she?” Kiyoko said, kissing him again.

He smiled and gave her a soft kiss and pulled away. “No, but Mom will care. I’d better get home.”

Kiyoko stood up and brushed the grass from her dress with an understanding nod.

Kiba took her hand. “It’s not that I don’t want to… But it’s just not…” He made a frustrated sound. 

Kiyoko squeezed his hand and hugged him. “It’s okay. We’ll just have a mad makeout time some other time.” She promised with a smile. 

Kiba nodded and smiled. “Yeah.” He gave her a long goodbye kiss, only stopping because Akamaru politely yipped at them. 

“Right.” Kiyoko pulled away with a blush. “Thanks for the date. I’ll see you later.” She said happily. 

He nodded and they parted ways. Kiyoko felt like she was just about gliding home. Part of her wanted to go check in with Shiori, but she hoped that Shiori was at least still out enjoying the night. 

* * *

The next morning Kiyoko was still feeling full of energy and spunk, her second night in a row of solid sleep was paying off. There was an unsettled air over the whole village but she shook off that feeling and got up for a dawn run. Putting on her jogging gear, leggings and a comfortable long sleeve tunic, she threw her hair up in it’s usual high braided ponytail and was off. Running was always so enjoyable for her but the longer she was out the harder it was to shake the idea that something was wrong. Unconsciously, her feet took her on paths back toward Kiba’s home. 

Kiba was also out, Akamaru at his side. Though they were only strolling it seemed. She waved and ran up to him, panting softly. 

“Good morning.” She grinned. 

“Hi.” He looked pleased she’d come by. “Akamaru and I couldn’t sleep. We were going to head over and see what Choji was up to. He had some amazing chips last time we were there. Akamaru won’t stop talking about them.” 

Akamaru barked happily. 

Kiyoko smiled. “Can I join you? I feel like I need some company.” 

“Of course.” Kiba nodded eagerly and they walked on together. “So do you feel it too then?” Kiba asked her. 

Kiyoko looked at him and nodded once. “Something’s wrong.” 

Kiba nodded, “We can smell it. But we don’t know what it is.” 

“Hopefully it’s nothing we can’t handle by ourselves.” Kiyoko sighed. Most of the sensei’s were gone by now along with the other jounin. 

“We can handle anything.” Kiba said, chest puffed up with pride. 

Kiyoko grinned and nodded, feeling cheered by him. They arrived at Choji’s house, surprised to find Shiori, Masaru, Shikamaru, and Naruto all assembled out front. 

“Is there a party we weren’t invited to?” Kiyoko asked. She knew that Naruto certainly wasn’t a morning person and was surprised to find him here. 

Shiori looked relieved to see her. “I’m glad you’re here. We’re putting together a team.” She gestured between Shikamaru and herself. 

“What for?” Kiba asked, clearly eager for any mission. 

“Sasuke left.” Shikamaru said bluntly. Naruto growled and balled his fists, looking away. 

“There is a possibility that Orochimaru is involved,” Shiori added. “We have to reach Sasuke and bring him back before he crosses out of the Land of Fire.

Kiyoko’s mind was spinning, it felt like the odd sense of unease had now flipped her whole world upside down. She felt confused and angry. She looked around at everyone else, guessing they were feeling the same.

“Right. Why is Shikamaru just eating chips though?” Kiba frowned. Kiyoko rolled her eyes, couldn’t he focus on the important thing?

“Luring Choji out of bed.” Naruto said. 

Akamaru’s ears perked up as he smelled the chips. The last chip fell into Shikamaru’s hand and suddenly there was a mad dash between the puppy and Choji for it.

Shiori rolled her eyes a little, “We need to go after Sasuke. Meet us at the gates in fifteen minutes with your gear.” Shiori nodded to Kiyoko since she wasn’t exactly battle ready. 

“I’ll be there!” She said, dashing off without any further ado. Her heart was pounding and she felt that sense of confusion only growing. Sure, Sasuke had always been a bit… but leaving? That was insane. There must be something more going on. 

She didn’t bother changing and just grabbed her tool belt and Akira’s sword and headed to the gates as fast as she could. 

By the time she got there, she saw Sakura had the attention of the group, crying and pleading with them to bring Sasuke back. Kiyoko felt sorry for her of course, it must be dreadful to have a teammate gone like that. She couldn’t even imagine how she’d react if it was Masaru or Shiori gone. 

She was glad to see Neji had joined the assembled group, they’d need him for sure. Too bad Shino and TenTen couldn’t be here. 

Naruto brought the group together with his promise to bring him back, Kiyoko grinned and nodded. They’d do it for sure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated, it helps us know that people are still interested. We can believe we're so close to 50 chapters!


	49. You go your way, I go mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV is Masaru

Masaru couldn’t believe Sasuke would be so stupid. After everything they’d just gone through, how could he even think of leaving his team behind? Of leaving Konoha? And for what; what could Sasuke possibly hope to achieve by this stunt? Masaru clenched his fists; this was the last thing any of them needed right now. And what if something went seriously wrong? Sure, he’d been training with Emi, but he wasn’t anything close to a real medic. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts and refocused on the task at hand. Shikamaru had placed him in the middle of their formation, citing his ability to adapt quickly to different situations, and had tasked him with monitoring their immediate surroundings as they moved. Though Shikamaru hadn’t mentioned it, he had placed Masaru in the safest place in the formation; where the team medic would be. Part of Masaru was glad Shikamaru hadn’t mentioned that, even though he was positive he’d thought of it. Another part of Masaru was annoyed, he wasn’t a real medic and if Shikamaru expected him to act like one, this wasn’t going to end well. 

Masaru glanced over his shoulder, Kiyoko was directly behind him; her ability to react and move quickly was similar to Naruto’s. Masaru didn’t know how he felt about being surrounded by the two most hyper ninja he knew, but he trusted Kiyoko to have his back, at least. He looked further back, to where Shiori ran, just ahead of Neji. She’d let Shikamaru take the lead so far, letting the lazy genius do what he did best and come up with an unbeatable strategy. He hadn’t exactly expected her to immediately take charge, it wasn’t her style, but Masaru had faith that she’d be up to leading if she needed to.

From the front of the formation, Akamaru yipped softly and Masaru looked forward again.

“There’s the scent of blood up ahead,” Kiba said.

“Neji, can you see anything?” Shikamaru asked?

Neji turned in the direction that Kiba was pointing, his byakugan activated, but he shook his head. “Whatever happened, it’s out my range.”

“I’ll check it out,” Shiori said, activating her shadow-sight jutsu. 

Masaru allowed himself a moment to be impressed with how far she’d come with her shadow-sight jutsu; when she’d first started using it she’d had to stay still, now she was comfortable sprinting through trees with it activated.

“There was a fight,” she said, frowning. “There are two Konoha jounin down.”

Shikamaru motioned for them to stop. “Can you see any more details? Who attacked them?”

Shiori closed her eyes and was silent for a moment. “It was an intense fight, the jounin are down, I can’t tell if they’re alive or not. There are two other Konoha shinobi headed in their direction. There’s no sign of their attackers, I’ve reached the limit of my sight.” She opened her eyes again and Masaru could tell she’d deactivated the jutsu.

“At least we know for sure that Sasuke has an escort,” she said. “There’s no way he did all that on his own.”

“We have to keep going after Sasuke,” Naruto said.

“Shut up,” Kiba responded, “Shikamaru’s the leader.”

“And Shiori,” Kiyoko added.

“If we go to the jounin, we might get more information,” Shikamaru said, frowning in the direction of the fight. “And the other members on their team could give us more support.”

“Perhaps,” Shiori said. “But we’ll lose valuable time. Sasuke and his escorts have already passed beyond my range.”

“And if they cross the borders of the Land of Fire, it’ll be out of our hands.” Neji added, looking in the direction of the border.

Shikamaru’s frown deepened and Masaru glanced at Shiori. She caught his eye and smiled slightly.

“We can’t afford the delay,” Shikamaru said after a pause. “Let’s keep going.”

* * *

The team raced through the trees; Shiori kept her shadow-sight jutsu activated and Masaru found himself frequently glancing back at her. He was impressed by how much her skills had grown, but he was also worried she was expending too much chakra. 

“Wait,” she called, pausing on a branch and signaling to the others. “I can see them ahead, at the edge of my range. They’ve stopped moving.”

“What’s going on?” Shikamaru asked.

“There’s a group of four Sound-nin,” she said, closing her eyes. “They’ve met with a group of Kagemura.”

“Is Sasuke there?” Naruto asked.

“I don’t see him,” she answered. “But both teams are carrying a large coffin, he may be in one of them, I can’t tell from here.” 

“He’s dead?” Naruto yelled.

“I don’t think they’d kill the person they’ve worked so hard to get,” Neji said, his voice calm compared to Naruto’s, but not as cold as Masaru was used to hearing from the Hyuuga. 

“I can’t tell for sure,” Shiori said. “I can’t see inside the coffins, but I think Neji’s right.”

“What are they doing?” Shikamaru asked.

“Talking,” Shiori said. “The Otogakure team looks beat-up; they were probably the ones that fought with the jounin. If we move quickly, we may be able to reach them before they go on again.”

Shikamaru nodded and motioned for the team to keep moving.

“Shiori,” Masaru said quietly as they started to run. “Should you be keeping that jutsu activated for so long?”

“It’s alright,” she said, turning toward him with a smile. Her gaze was distant, though, and Masaru could tell she was focused on the scene far away. “I got a lot better at this while I was training for the Third Exam.”

“Even at this range?” 

Shiori’s only response was another smile and Masaru dropped the issue. It was certainly useful to have Shiori able to see so far ahead, but he knew she couldn’t keep it up forever.

* * *

They were gaining ground quickly; whatever was happening between the group from Otogakure and the Kagemura had stalled their progress. It was lucky, Masaru guessed, but he also worried about dealing with a team strong enough to take down two of their jounin and a team of Kagemura as well. One would be a challenge enough, but both of them? 

“They’ve split up,” Shiori said. “The Sound-nin are heading northwest, the Kagemura, northeast.”

They stopped again and Shiori deactivated her jutsu, rubbing her temples.

“Did they each take a coffin?” Shikamaru asked.

Shiori nodded. “If Sasuke is inside one, he’s probably in the one carried by the group from Otogakure,” she pointed to the northwest. “It’s more heavily guarded and I don’t imagine Orochimaru would entrust this task to only Kagemura.”

Shikamaru sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, probably debating how best to split their team to pursue the two groups. 

“I’ll take Masaru and Kiyoko,” Shiori suggested. “We’ll go after the Kagemura. You take the rest, and follow the group from Otogakure”.

Shikamaru’s eyes narrowed as he considered her suggestion. “What if the coffin you go after has Sasuke in it? None of you are particularly close to him, why would he come back with you?”

From anyone else, that level of bluntness would have annoyed Masaru. He’d knock Sasuke out and drag his dumb ass home if he had to. But coming from Shikamaru, it was just a statement of fact.

“If he is in that coffin, Masaru and I can delay him while Kiyoko runs for your team.”

Shikamaru seemed to weigh it for another minute and then nodded. “Agreed.” 

Shiori jumped to another tree and Kiyoko and Masaru followed her. Masaru looked back at the others. He gave a nod to Kiba, who gave him a thumbs up back. 

Shiori rolled her shoulders. “Okay, Kiyoko, you’re in the back on defense, Masaru in the middle and I’m in front. You’ve both faced Kagemura before so you know what you’re in for. Keep your defenses up,” she ordered before they started running again. 

“Are you alright?” Masaru asked once they were far enough from the other group. 

“I am,” Shiori said, smiling over her shoulder at him. “Really,” she added when he shot her a flat look. “It doesn’t take as much out of me as it did before.”

Masaru nodded.

“Super useful jutsu to have,” Kiyoko chimed in from behind him. “We wouldn’t have known they’d split up for ages without it.”

“It has its limits,” Shiori said, “but it came in handy. Now, let’s hurry.”

They moved quickly through the trees and Masaru felt his unease growing with each step. He, Kiyoko, and Shiori were definitely more prepared to go against Kagemura than the rest of their team, but that didn’t mean he looked forward to the encounter. 

“These Kagemura certainly aren’t used to tree running, that’s for sure,” Kiyoko muttered as they started to get near them and heard the sound of leaves rustling and branches breaking. 

“I’m going to try reasoning with them,” Shiori warned softly. 

“You’re what?” Masaru said, louder than he intended. But he couldn’t believe she was going to try that now. Of all times. 

Shori shook her head a little, not wanting to get in an argument about it. Masaru bit his tongue, he wasn’t happy about her decision, but she was technically his captain now. After his time with Shizuka in the arena he knew how Kagemura could get in your head, make you think things. No, this was not the time or place to talk. He only hoped she didn’t end up regretting it. That they all didn’t end up regretting it. 

When they got closer to their quarry, Shiori motioned for Masaru and Kiyoko to slow down and keep out of sight before hurrying forward without giving either a chance to object. 

“What is she doing?” Kiyoko hissed as she and Masaru crept closer to the fleeing Kagemura.

Masaru shook his head, his jaw clenched too tight to respond.

The Kagemura in front of them staggered to a stop when Shiori appeared on a branch ahead of them, blocking their path. Behind them, carefully hidden in the trees, Masaru and Kiyoko watched with bated breath. 

“This has gone far enough,” Shiori said, sounding far more confident than she had any right to be, in Masaru’s opinion. 

Kiyoko reached out and squeezed Masaru’s arm, clearly as nervous about this whole idea as he was.

One of the Kagemura, a skeletally thin woman that radiated a fierce energy gestured toward Shiori. “Oh look, it’s the Princess, come to command her subjects.” 

The equally emaciated man standing next to her chuckled and set down the barrel he’d been carrying.

“You’ll have to forgive us, Princess,” the final Kagemura - a woman with a shaved head that was covered in tattoos that looked like wispy shadows trailing across her scalp - said with a mock bow. “If we don’t jump to fall in line.”

Shiori frowned, but it wasn’t an angry frown; from where Masaru was standing, she looked sad, like she pitied the three Kagemura in front of her. Masaru didn’t share the sentiment, the feeling radiating off those three was making his hair stand on end.

“You have a choice here,” Shiori said softly as the sunlight filtering through the trees glinted off the Kagemura crest she wore around her neck. “You don’t have to go back to my brother, you can come back with me and start a new life away from his madness.”

Masaru glanced at Kiyoko; she looked as skeptical about that offer as he felt. Sure, Shiori was welcome in Konoha but he wasn’t sure these three would be. 

The bald woman spat in Shiori’s direction; Shiori, to her credit, didn’t flinch as the lob of spit landed on the branch at her feet.

“Just like your father,” the emaciated woman hissed. “Weak. But still thinking you can command.”

“I am not commanding you,” Shiori said. “I have no interest in commanding you. You have been wronged,” she continued calmly. “By my grandmother, my father, my brother. I don’t blame you for not trusting me, but I have heard what you have suffered and I am offering you a chance at another way. Seijiro is safe in Konoha, even now.”

Masaru noted that she didn’t mention that ‘safe in Konoha’ meant ‘imprisoned by the Torture and Interrogation Force’. He tried to size up his opponents while they talked; there was no way they were getting out of this without a fight. Knowing they were Kagemura was enough to make Masaru wary of them and their genjutsu. What worried him more was how little else he could glean of their abilities. The energy he felt from the emaciated woman set his teeth on edge; and the man had to have more strength than his frail body would suggest if he was able to lug that barrel around with such apparent ease. 

To his left, Kiyoko started creeping through the trees, moving toward a position where she could flank the bald woman with the creepy tattoos. 

“Whatever that traitor told you,” the emaciated woman said. “It was to save his own skin. You know nothing, little girl.”

The man cackled and rolled his shoulders. “She’s about to learn, though.”

Shiori sighed and shook her head; she looked tired and Masaru felt a spike of nerves. Had she worn herself out using the shadow-sight jutsu so much during their pursuit? 

“We don’t have to fight,” Shiori said. It should have been a plea, but somehow Shiori made it sound strong; as if she were warning them against trying it. 

“Now that’s where you’re wrong, Princess,” the bald woman said, her eyes bleeding to black as she activated her Yureigan and lunged toward Shiori. 

Masaru had a split-second to prepare himself before Kiyoko unleashed a torrent of wind at the enemy Kagemura. The barrel swayed but the man was quick to steady it as the skeletal woman lunged toward Kiyoko’s position. Masaru threw a handful of shuriken, intent on intercepting her before she reached Kiyoko. 

The Kagemura turned suddenly and raced toward him, dodging the shuriken with a speed that took him off guard. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man make a hand-sign before sitting on the top of the barrel, his full-black eyes focused on Kiyoko.

Masaru dodged backward as the woman swiped at him with a kunai. Up close, she looked even more cadaverous than she had from afar; her pale skin was waxy, her all-black eyes looked too large in a face where the skin was stretched too tightly over bones. She moved with incredible speed, lashing out with a second kunai before Masaru had finished dodging the first. He managed to block it with a kunai of his own and the impact rattled up his arm. How could someone so frail be so strong?

He could hear Kiyoko swearing in the distance and feel the occasional gust of wind from her attacks but they seemed so far away. The woman slashed at him with a flurry of attacks, moving like a feral animal intent on rending him limb from limb. It was all Masaru could do to dodge and parry, let alone get in an attack of his own. 

“I’m going to kill you,” she hissed, her thin lips pulled back in a snarl. “I’m going to rip off your head and present it to the little princess as a welcome home present.”

Masaru felt his stomach churn, he didn’t doubt for a second that she’d do it if she could. He ducked under another attack and used his momentum to spin away from her, throwing a handful of kunai as he went. She dodged them all, but the brief pause in her onslaught gave him the time he needed to descend to the forest floor. He made hand-signs and slammed his palm on the ground just at the Kagemura dove toward him. A spike of earth shot toward her and she writhed in midair, barely avoiding being impaled.

She landed on the ground in a crouch and grinned at Masaru. He felt a rush of horror shoot down his spine and he had to repress a shudder; it was the same damn grin he’d seen on Shizuka’s face during the attack.

“Are you afraid?” She asked, stalking toward him like some creature out of a nightmare. “Would you like to see how you die today?”

“I’m not going to die today,” Masaru responded, forcing himself to smirk as she took another step. 

Her grin widened and Masaru took a step back; he felt a surge of triumph as she stepped forward again, right onto the exploding tag he’d hidden there when performing his jutsu. The tag blew; sending a cloud of smoke and dirt high into the air, obscuring his vision of the Kagemura. He heard her shriek and he stumbled away, back toward where he’d last seen Kiyoko and Shiori. There was no doubt in his mind that she was still alive, but hopefully she was stunned, or injured, enough that he’d have time to regroup. 

He jerked to a halt when Kiyoko came flying toward him through the trees, checking his surprise just in time to catch her before she hit the ground.

“Thanks,” she said, sounding breathless.

“Are you okay?” 

“Fine.” She shot him a grin that was as reassuring as the Kagemura’s had been creepy. Her green eyes were glittering in that way they did when she was having too much fun running circles around people. Masaru had no idea how she could be so happy now.

“Sasuke’s not in the barrel,” she said, regaining her feet. “I smashed it.”

“Of course you did,” Masaru said. 

Before Kiyoko could respond, the splintered remains of one half of the barrel crashed toward them through the trees and they jumped apart. Masaru lifted his arms to shield himself from the shards of wood that exploded toward them when the barrel smashed into a tree trunk. 

Kiyoko was already dashing in the direction that barrel had come from and Masaru raced after her, glancing around nervously for any sign of the emaciated woman. 

“Where’s Shiori?” He asked.

A look of concern flashed across Kiyoko’s face and she shook her head. “I don’t know; she and that creepy bald lady vanished into the shadows as soon as the fight started.”

Masaru frowned, Shiori had been talking about a jutsu that allowed the Kagemura to move through shadows, but he hadn’t realized she’d learned it. 

“Look out!” Kiyoko grabbed his arm and pulled him down as a large shuriken whirled over their heads. The blades of the shuriken were curved, like the blades of a sickle, and Masaru grimaced as it thunked into a nearby tree. That definitely would have taken off his head.

“So close,” the gravelly voice of the Kagemura man floated toward them through the trees, but Masaru couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from.

“We’ll get them.” Now it was the voice of the emaciated woman. “We’ll catch them,” she continued, her voice snaking through the trees. “We’ll rip them, tear them, shred them.”

Masaru and Kiyoko stood back-to-back on the forest floor, each searching the trees for their enemies.

“Yes,” the man responded. Both their voices sounded muffled, like they were trying to speak through heavy fabric. “Crush them, break them.”

Masaru could feel a slight tremble run through Kiyoko where her back was pressed against his. 

“Apparently being overly dramatic is a family trait,” Masaru muttered as he scanned the forest around them.

“At least we know where Shiori gets it now,” Kiyoko responded, the slight tremble in her voice giving away her fear.

Masaru gasped as a barrage of kunai came flying toward them from a shadow to his right. He barely managed to slam his hand to the ground and create a wall of earth in time to shield himself and Kiyoko. 

“Not good enough.” The gravelly voice of the man was all the warning Masaru got before he was slammed into the wall he just created. Pain exploded through his head as he felt the sickening crunch of his nose making contact with the stone. The hand holding the back of his head pulled him away from the wall and slammed it forward again before Masaru could fight back. He heard Kiyoko screaming next to him and felt the hand jerk away - taking a chunk of his hair with it. When he turned around, sleeve pressed to his nose to stem the bleeding, he found Kiyoko with her sword drawn, standing between him and the emaciated man. The man was holding his shoulder; blood seeped between his fingers from a deep wound. 

“Thanks,” Masaru mumbled, or at least tried too, he wasn’t sure how coherent it was. How did a nose bleed this much? 

“You okay?” Kiyoko asked, not taking her eyes off the man in front of her.

“Not even close.” The emaciated woman appeared behind them and pushed Kiyoko forward with a gust of wind, sending the blonde kunoichi stumbling toward the other Kagemura. 

Masaru lunged forward, trying to stop Kiyoko’s momentum but the Kagemura woman was too fast. She latched onto him, dragging him back and spinning him around and grabbing his neck, forcing him to look her in the eyes. Masaru froze, entranced by the swirling blackness. He’d thought that an activated Yureigan was just a void of black but this close he could see shapes in the darkness, undulating forms that drew him in even as his mind struggled to pull away. 

“You hurt me,” the woman said, her voice a harsh whisper. Her hand tightened on his throat, but still Masaru couldn’t bring himself to pull away. “I don’t like it when people hurt me.”

It was becoming difficult for Masaru to breathe; his entire attention was focused on the shadows in the woman’s eyes and the darkness gathering at the edges of his vision. Soon, there would be nothing else left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! We love comments and kudos! Can you believe we're so close to 50 chapters?!


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